


All This and Heaven Too - Part II

by EndlessStairway



Series: All This and Heaven Too [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Accidental magical bond, Alternate Universe - Space, Bedsharing, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends, Like, Loki Whump, M/M, Rape, Space Adventure, Space Prison, Space slaves, Violence, accidental injuries, slow slow burn, super slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-03-17 10:21:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18963313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessStairway/pseuds/EndlessStairway
Summary: Picking up from where Part I left off, this time from Tony's POV.





	1. Exploration

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends! This chapter has taken a while to get out, I wrote it a bunch of times before I realized it wasn't working and I needed to switch POV - so here we are! Part II, now from Tony's POV. 
> 
> Also - If anyone wanted a code for my audiobook, here are some more! Thank you guys so much for your support!
> 
> Redeem at: audible.com/acx-promo  
> 7EZKYZEK698JK, FTJJH7W7NYJ22, HP2RNF4S2QYUH, J4MLTXFNFZG58, LKEFG8BGW6U7D
> 
> Redeem at: audible.co.uk/acx-promo  
> 8ZRCJXN498NK8, AAJ5YAGZHBJP3, BJ9C6Z3FK6F84, BW35EBBJ9RNTS, CQN6UY4ZTWK7H

Tony slid the door open a crack and checked the passageway before stepping out. He had a shaky mental map of the place based on his few frantic minutes of exploration after he had dragged Min through the open guard door. It was a spur of the moment decision. They had fled through the passageways hand-in-hand before he had hidden her in a closet and found the captain’s cabin. Tony had known he was in the right place by the blooded and filthy flogger lying on the table. From the hungry and lascivious look on the captain's face, he could tell that Loki would be brought back here.

He had no plan except to not let Loki suffer that punishment twice. Tony did not think the Asgardian would survive it a second time. Mentally, if not physically. He glanced over his shoulder. Loki was following, but he stared vacantly in the distance, his hands limp at his sides. Tony knew the evidence of trauma, and this was it. Dissociation, hypervigilance, extreme aggression to perceived threats. Loki had it all. Tony decided to worry about it later. For now, they needed to get out of this area. Off this ship, if that was possible.

Min’s closet was a few turns away, and she stumbled out, breathing fast, her own heavy can of water clutched in her hands. The cans were good weapons, but Tony regretfully put them back in the closet. There was no reason for a couple of prisoners to be carrying water, and he did not want to attract any attention. They would get plenty of attention when the guards found the captain, or when someone noticed Tony and Min were missing from the deck.

Tony led the way. He walked side-by-side with Min, doing his best to look like a cowed prisoner being taken somewhere unpleasant by an armed guard. Loki followed behind, and Tony could only pray that they looked the part enough to fool anyone who saw them from a distance. Up close, they had no chance.

At every intersection, Tony took the narrower passageway, the route with more motes of dust in the slowly moving air, the greater number of broken light panels. The ship seemed endless, and there were no signs and no maps. They walked for hours. At first they heard voices in the distance, footsteps, conversations behind closed doors, and had to adjust their route accordingly, but soon that all fell behind. For the last hour, the only sound was their own footsteps. This portion of the ship seemed to be deserted.

Tony began to try doors as they walked, finding nothing unlocked, the control panels dull and lifeless. They passed through a huge airlock, big enough to fit hundred of people. It was open, dust built up on the thick metal doors at each end. The airlock seemed to be a dividing line on the ship, the other side was almost derelict. There still was air, but it was cool and unmoving, and only dull emergency lights glowed in the ceiling.

Tony pulled them to the edge of the passageway and paused, no longer caring about appearances. He leaned against the wall, his tiredness catching up to him all at once. Min crouched down and rested her head in her hands. They had all worked a full exhausting shift before this, and the adrenaline that had carried them through their escape was long gone. Loki stood in the passageway, his eyes more alert now, the air of twitching panic faded away. Now he just looked tired, like the rest of them.

“You guys good?” Tony asked, wishing they had kept the water. His mouth was dry, and he was getting a headache.

Min nodded tiredly, and after a moment Loki did too. Neither of them spoke and Tony valiantly carried on.

“This place is huge," he said, stating the obvious for lack of anything else to do.

Loki glanced around. “It was probably a city-ship once. For deep-space mining operations. Ships like this were both home and factory. People could live their whole lives on one. Generations, even. It was common on the outer planets for a long time, before I was born.”

Tony shivered, but Loki shrugged. “It is no better or worse than any other place to live. Some could become very wealthy, if they were lucky.”

“Yeah, well, it’s clearly not that anymore,” Tony said, glad that Loki was talking again, even if was not relevant to their current situation.

Gears began to turn in Loki’s head, “If this is such a place, there will be many places to hide. Disused areas. Perhaps abandoned shuttles, or even larger craft.” He looked around, taking in the dim light, the dull and lifeless door controls, the dust hanging in the still air, as if noticing it all for the first time. “Let us find a place to rest. Last time...” he paused, shuddering, a shadow crossing his face. He took a deep breath and tried again. “Last time, the captain kept me all night. The guards will not expect their turn for many more hours.”

Tony nodded, swallowing back his disgust at the guard's idea of punishment. He kept it to himself though. Loki certainly didn’t want his pity.

They walked on, slowly now, trying doors as they walked, until Min found one that opened.

“Here,” she called, her soft voice heard for the first time in hours. The girl was exhausted, and Tony gently moved her aside and peeked through the door. It looked like a medical bay. Rows of padded gurneys stood against the walls, and a monitoring station with blank screens dominated the center. It was as good place as any to rest, so they wedged the door shut and Tony pulled one of the gurneys across it. It wouldn’t block anyone for long, but it would at least give them a warning if anyone was trying to enter.

There was no food or water, but they were all too tired to care. The lure of a padded surface to sleep on, instead of bare metal, was too strong. They put Min at the far end, and Loki and Tony wordlessly took positions about halfway between her and door, on opposite walls.

Tony lay down, his eyes already closing. He knew they were not in a safe location, that danger was still on their heels, but he also knew that they could not go much longer without sleep. He and Min certainly couldn’t, at least. Loki was anyone’s guess. He had a blank mask on his face and Tony didn't blame him. The look on his face when the guard captain had come for him was engraved in Tony’s memory. Fear, panic, shock, horror, all of it combined and wrapped around with shame. It may not have been the wisest thing to do what he had done, but he did not regret it. He would do the same for anyone.

“Tony,” Loki said from across the room, his voice low.

Tony sat up. Loki was sitting cross-legged on his gurney, the helmet and armor off, but the shock stick and control device still on his belt.

“Sup,” Tony said, already half asleep.

Loki's eyes darted around the room, avoiding landing on Tony’s face. “I will take the first watch,” he said eventually.

Tony nodded, “Sure,” he said, glad Loki was thinking somewhat tactically again, “Wake me up when it’s my turn.” He lay down again, but Loki wasn’t done.

“Tony,” he said again, even more quietly, Tony propped himself up on one elbow.

“Yeah,” he said.

Loki finally met his gaze, his hands twisted in his lap, his shoulders hunched. He cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming for me, Tony.” He looked as though he wanted to say more, that there was a universe of words that he could share, but instead he pressed his lips together and was silent.

Tony nodded, aware that even that thanks probably took a lot of effort for the Asgardian to force out.

“Sure thing,” he said, yawning widely as he spoke, “No problem. You’d do the same for me, right?” he smiled, not expecting any reply to that, but to his surprise Loki nodded.

“Yes,” he said, as though surprised to find himself saying it, “Yes, I would.”


	2. Snap

Tony had no idea of the time when Loki shook him awake to take over the watch. The light was the same, the air was the same, and now there was not even the slow turn of the heavens to mark the passing hours. He grunted and struggled to sit up while Loki headed back to his own sleeping area and was passed out in moments.

Tony tried to get comfortable. The air was on the cool side, and there were no blankets or any other comforts visible in the abandoned medical bay. Perhaps he could find something if he rummaged around in the central cabinets, but he would rather not wake everyone up. Instead, he hugged his arms around himself and was grateful for the slight warmth of the arc reactor. It usually made him run hot, but here kept him pretty comfortable.

Minutes ticked by. Tony did not do well with inactivity, and taking a night watch was not an easy task for him. He listened for any unusual sounds and watched the doorway, but there was nothing else for him to do. He yawned, still tired from the long days of forced labor and the invitingly padded surface he sat on.

Not wanting to be tempted, he stood up. If Loki woke and found Tony sleeping when he was supposed to be be on watch, he would be pissed. And justifiably, Tony acknowledged. They were on a hostile ship, and Loki was the only one who even thought about setting a watch. Tony himself had not considered it. He had been too tired when they found this hiding place, and he would have had the three of them all go to sleep at once. Loki at least was smarter than that.

He padded to the door and stood there for a while, listening. The ship was silent. Tony, used to the noise of the city at night, even high up in his tower and through thick glass, found it unnerving. It was the silence of deep-space. He could hear the breathing of his two companions and his own footsteps, but the ship itself made no sound. He rested his fingertips on the nearest bulkhead, feeling for any vibration, perhaps from engines or motion, but there was nothing. The silence made him claustrophobic, as though they were buried underground instead of floating through endless space.

He shook his head and yawned again. There was nothing to do. He walked the length of the medical bay, past Loki to check on Min. She was sleeping soundly, her head thrown back, her short curls limp around her face.

He paced back down the center of the large room, pausing when he got to Loki. Loki was sleeping too, the shock-stick and the control device still on his belt. Tony rubbed his chin. If he was the one on guard, he should be the one with the shock-stick, right? It was looped onto Loki's belt with a loose hook, easy enough to reach over and take it.

There was no reason for the only guard to be unarmed, and the only weapon to be in the possession of someone fast asleep. Of course, he would give it back to Loki when they switched roles again.

With such over-confident thoughts, Tony crept closer. Just like Min, Loki was sprawled out on his back, his hair spread around his head like a dark halo. One of his eyes was puffy and swollen, from that asshole guard whipping his face. Tony clenched his fists. That had been hard to watch, but he had known that until the captain had taken off his helmet, Tony had no chance against him. He had been forced to wait and watch him hurting and taunting Loki.

Thankfully, the rest of Loki's face was unmarked, the red lines that had been there had already faded. The marks on his memory, however, Tony had no doubt still were strong and bright. The captain’s taunts had removed what little doubt Tony had had over what form Loki’s previous punishment had taken. They would all face the same, or worse, if they were found and brought back. Tony would not let that happen.

Making up his mind, Tony slowly stretched out his hand. He would take the shock-stick, and give it back when his watch was over. It made sense. His finger brushed the slick surface of it, and before he had even lifted it a quarter of an inch, Loki was moving.

One hand snapped out and grabbed Tony’s wrist, the other his forearm. A sharp twist-and-crack, and Tony screamed. Loki’s eyes opened, there was a split second of confusion and then his eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock.

“Tony!” he said, horrified. He released his grip on Tony's arm, but it was too late. Tony thought he was going to throw up. His wrist was broken, and waves and pain and nausea washed over him.

A thump from the other end of the room and Min appeared, her fists clenched and raised, apparently ready to tackle whoever and whatever had woken her.

“Help him!” Loki said to Min, throwing himself off his gurney on the other side. He hurried to the central area and started opening cabinets, rummaging inside and throwing the the contents on the floor. Min jumped to steady Tony’s swaying figure. She wrapped his uninjured arm over her shoulder and helped him sit down on the gurney Loki had just vacated.

“Make him lie down and lift his feet,” Loki ordered from across the room, and Min did her best to help him do it. Tony’s head swam, stars danced before his eyes. He stared up at the ceiling. Loki had broken his wrist. He had broken his wrist without even  _ opening his eyes. _

“Take these,” Loki passed Min an armful of aged medical supplies, and he vanished again.

Min spun around, then dropped the supplies on Tony’s lap, having nowhere else to put them. She tossed out anything that was crumbling with age, but she did find a thick wrap that looked around Tony’s size.

“It’s a fracture,” Loki said, standing by the gurney across from Tony. “Wrap it up and it will heal by itself.”

“Easy for you to say,” Tony protested weakly, but there was nothing they could do except follow his instructions.

Min gingerly supported Tony’s hand and the wrap sealed itself and shrunk to his exact size as she applied it. Already the even pressure of it helped with the pain. Tony sat up, shaky and covered in cold sweat.

Before Tony could say anything, Loki said, “I am sorry. Tony, I am sorry. I apologize. I did not mean to hurt you. I did not know it was you.”

Tony pursed his lips. It wasn't that he didn’t believe it, because he did. He was angry with himself, more than at Loki. He had seen how Loki reacted to threats, and still he had thought it a good idea to try and take his weapon while he was sleeping? He had been asking for an accidental injury.

Of course, he remembered, Loki had hurt him on purpose too. He had let him loose in the shuttle. He had let his oath activate twice and not stopped the pain until Tony had complied with his wishes. And now he had snapped his wrist like a brittle twig.

Tony sighed and lay back down on the gurney. “My bad,” he said, because it was easier than opening up that can of worms. He rested his injured arm on his chest, and tried to breathe away the dull ache that radiated up to his shoulder.

They may be cautious allies, but Loki was dangerous. Tony could not forget that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. If they can find a therapist in space, Loki needs one.


	3. Water

If Tony lifted his head from the gurney, he was going to throw up. If he so much as twitched the fingers on his injured hand, he was going to throw up. His entire arm was throbbing, and whatever endorphins or stress-hormones had suppressed his pain at first were now long gone.

Tony considered himself to have a high tolerance for pain, but it turned out that a high tolerance for long-term chronic pain was something very different to a tolerance for the intense, immediate pain of a broken wrist. He had no alcohol to numb it, no music to distract from it, no comforting AI to watch over him, no ice to soothe the swelling, nothing. He had Loki, who was skulking on the other side of the medical bay, and he had Min, who was hovering over him like an anxious goose. She was ready to spit and hiss at anyone who came near, but ultimately she was still just a small, fluffy bird.

“Is there any water?” Tony asked, knowing that there was not.

Min shook her head, “No Tony,” she said, “There’s no food or water in here. We will have to go out and find some.”

“No one is leaving,” Loki snapped, and Min shrank down, her shoulders hunched, her head bowed.

Tony winked at her, and raised his voice to address Loki. “Erm, maybe you don’t know this, but humans need water to survive, and it’s been about twenty-four hours since I drank any. Sooo….I’m gonna go look for some pretty soon.”

“You will not,” Loki said, appearing in Tony’s peripheral vision. “You are injured, and you are in no state to move.”

Tony felt the hated lurch of magic in his chest, tugging at him as Loki made his pronouncement. He tried not the let it show. “I’d rather be injured than dead,” he replied, but he made no move to get up. He didn’t think he could, and he’d rather not collapse in front of Min. The girl was stressed enough.

“I will go,” Loki said after due consideration. “You two will stay here.”

Tony actually managed to lift his head at that, then regretted it and lay back down. “We shouldn’t split up,” he said.

“That is my decision, and you will do as I say,” Loki stated, his voice cold. Tony hissed, unable to hide the discomfort of his oath making itself felt. A shadow crossed Loki’s face as he noticed it, but he didn’t withdraw his command.

“You know, giving orders like that is gonna backfire on you one day,” Tony said to the ceiling. “What if you get hurt? I won’t be able to help you. What if you get recaptured? I won’t ever be able to leave this room, and Min will be stuck here with me or out there on her own. What if this place catches fire? I’ll just have to burn I guess…”

“Enough!” Loki said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath. “Very well. You will stay here for two hours, or until the room is on fire, or becomes otherwise uninhabitable. Whichever comes sooner. Is that acceptable?”

Tony shrugged, then regretted it when the movement jostled his wrist. “Find some painkillers too,” he called after Loki as he moved the gurney across the door and vanished without replying.

Min pushed the gurney back over the doorway, then came and sat next to Tony, hugging her knees.

“Hey kid,” Tony said, slowly turning his head so he could see her, giving her his best encouraging smile. “Crazy adventure, huh?”

Min’s eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them away, her movements harsh. Angry with herself for crying. “This is the first time I have ever left Asgard,” she said, by way of explanation.

“Well shit,” Tony said, his head spinning from pain and thirst, “You’re gonna have the wildest story to tell when you get back.”

A tiny smile cracked on Min’s face, and she nodded, “My brothers will never believe me,” she said. “They are farmers, all four of them. They will never believe that I went to the palace to work in the library, and ended up here!”

“Wait up, wait up,” Tony said, a slow grin spreading on his face, “You have four brothers?”

Min nodded.

“Older brothers?” he confirmed, and she nodded again. “Farmers huh? Your dad too? Hard work, farming. They must be pretty strong.”

Min was confused, but she confirmed that yes, they worked hard, outdoors in rain and shine, and they were all as hearty and strong as oxen.

Tony laughed out loud. “Oh wow. You mean to tell me that when you guys get back, Loki is gonna have to explain to your parents and your four older brothers how he let their little Min get kidnapped and enslaved on a deep-space abandoned-city mining ship?”

Min giggled. “He would most like prefer to write a letter,” she said.

“Oh no,” Tony said, enjoying the picture forming in his mind, “No, no, no. He’s gonna have to do it in person. Honor demands it, right? He’ll have to return you home himself, and at first they’ll be like ‘Oh Prince Loki, thank the Norns you brought back our precious girl’ but then the questions will start...”

Min’s smile spread across her face, banishing her tears. Tony’s gravelly impression of an Asgardian farmer was especially good, if he did say so himself.

“Tony, you are wicked,” she said, but there was no heat to it, and Tony could tell she was enjoying the mental image as much as he was. It only lasted a few moment though, and then the smile faded from her face again. “I will be happy if we only get home,” she said.

Tony caught her eye. “We’re going home, Min. Don’t doubt it. I’ve been kidnapped before, I’ve been held prisoner, I’ve flown through a portal in space without a spaceship, carrying a nuclear bomb. I always get home. And you will too. We’re all going home.”

Min squared her jaw, and nodded, deciding to believe it. "We will," she declared. "We will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Starts drafting side fic of Loki repeatedly 'falling' in the mill-pond, tripping into muddy puddles, 'accidentally' wandering into a field with the bull and being kicked by horses and cows for the entire time he's on Min's family farm, and everyone is super apologetic and nice about it and he can't say anything because he DID get Min kidnapped and enslaved, after all.


	4. Healing

Loki was back before the two hours were up, carrying a bundle made of his own shirt. He dumped the bundle on one of the gurneys and pulled his shirt on before turning to face them, a can of water in each hand. He gave the water to Min who cracked one open and gave it to Tony, helping him sit up to drink. The water was cool and not too fresh, but Tony drank the whole can in one long swallow, feeling it sloshing around in his empty belly.

Loki sat on the other side of the room, drinking from his own can. “There is a roomful of these,” he said, lifting the can, “but I did not find any food. Yet.”

Tony rested his injured arm on his knee, careful not to jostle it. “This is a good start,” he said, and Loki’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Anything else interesting out there?”

Loki shook his head, “Most of the doors are locked. I didn’t want to leave evidence of where we are by disturbing them.”

“Yeah, smart,” Tony mused, his mind glad to have something to focus on apart from the throbbing pain in his wrist. “But if there’s a store of water there’s probably a store of food nearby. Medicine, even. Painkillers.” He twitched the fingers of his injured arm and regretted it immediately.

“I would not suggest you try any drugs you find, Tony,” Loki said, “but there is something we  _ can  _ try.” He drained his water, and when they both looked at him curiously he pointed at the arc reactor half hidden under Tony’s loose shirt. “That.”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest and paled as the motion disturbed his wrist. He took a breath. “I don’t think so. This is keeping me alive, in case you didn't know.”

“I'm aware,” Loki said, opening another can of water and drinking deeply from it. "Allow me to explain," he paused, and no one objected, so he continued. “When you made your oath, your energy source was triggered to seal it. It is possible, for a mage to draw on an external source of power.”

“Like a battery?” Tony asked, his nose wrinkled in displeasure.

Loki nodded.

“So you wanna tap my arc reactor and siphon off the energy to fuel your mojo?”

Loki nodded again, taking another drink from the can, allowing Tony time to think. He wiped his mouth on the back on his hand. “I can try to heal your wrist,” he said, his tone casual, as though it was nothing. As though Tony could not weep from the pain of it. In case he seemed too thoughtful, Loki couldn’t resist adding, “You’re not very useful as you are.”

Tony scowled at him, noticing the faint smirk on his lips as he finished his second can of water.

“Fine.” Tony said, caving without too much of a fight. He had no energy for fighting, and Loki was right. He was useless with his injured arm, and they were trapped on a hostile ship probably billions of light-years away from any friendly star. If they had any potential advantage, they needed to use it. The arc reactor may keep him alive, but if he didn't survive this ship it wouldn't matter.

Tony scooted up on the gurney and sat cross-legged. Loki sat at the bottom of the gurney in the same pose. Min stood between them, looking from one to the other, chewing on her lip.

Before they began, Loki unhooked the shock stick from his belt and handed it to Min. “If this goes wrong,” he said, “Use it.”

Min held the stick awkwardly, her hands more used to holding a pen than any kind of weapon. She pointed the stick at Tony, reluctance and apology written all over her face.

Loki laughed, a rare enough sound that they both stared at him. He reached out and pivoted Min back to face himself. “On me, girl,” he said, amused at her misunderstanding, “Use it on me, not him.”

Tony smiled as well, glad for something to release the tension. “I’m flattered that you think I’m any danger to this guy,” he said to Min, gesturing with his broken arm and battling another wave of nausea, “But he could snap me like a twig and not even break a sweat.”

Min flushed and stammered, unsure what to do, but Loki did not let her give the stick back. “Tony is in far more danger from me than I am from him, and we need him alive. If it goes wrong, use it. On me. Understand?”

She nodded reluctantly, and that was all the preparation they could make.

Tony sat up straight, his broken arm resting on his lap. “OK, what do I do?” he asked, clueless what it even meant to tap into the energy of the arc reactor.

Loki hummed. “When you made your oath,” he said, “We were touching.” He held out his hand, and Tony scooted closer and took it in a strange, solemn handshake. “Relax,” Loki said, his voice quiet, “I will try to access your power. Do not resist. Say stop if you want to stop, but don’t pull away. I do not think that would go well.”

Tony tried to relax, he really did, but the pain of his arm, the hunger growling in his belly, and Loki’s large hand holding his made it impossible. He took deep breaths, but that only made him dizzy. He tried to close his eyes, but that was worse. He couldn’t stop fidgeting, and after a few minutes Loki let go his hand and glared at him.

“I’m trying!” Tony protested, “This is too weird for me.”

“You did it before, without even trying,” Loki pointed out. “Your energy source is like a brick wall. Lie down.” Loki got off of Tony's gurney and went to push the nearest one closer, so they were side by side.

“Loki!” Tony cried, his breath stuck in his throat. His hand pressed on the arc reactor as the order to  _ lie down _ tried to enforce itself.

Loki paled, “Cancel that order,” he snapped. The pressure lifted from Tony’s chest as soon as the words left his lips.

“Dude,” Tony said, but that was all. There was nothing he could do about it. Loki had him under his thumb, and his every careless word was Tony's command.

Loki turned away and took a deep breath. “I apologize,” he said shortly, his back stiff, his hands clenched into fists.

“Whatever, man,” Tony said. Loki could apologize all he wanted but if he wasn’t going to change his behavior it was meaningless. A second later, Tony regretted his uncharitable thoughts. Loki had taken three days of rape and torture for him, and he was still suffering from it. A bit of chest pain in return was nothing.

“Let’s just do this,” Tony muttered and lay back, his broken arm resting on his chest over the arc reactor.

After a moment Loki nodded and pushed the gurney over, lying down next to Tony. Min stood next to him, biting her lip.

This was better. Tony relaxed on the gurney and barely flinched when Loki reached over and took his hand, twining their fingers together.

They lay in silence for long enough that Tony’s eyelids started to droop. He was about to ask Loki if they should give up for the day when he felt a strange tugging sensation in his chest. Not painful, like the oath making itself felt, this was more like a slow flowing stream. Tony angled his eyes downwards and saw a blue glow rising from his chest, winding around the broken arm that rested there.

Tony held his breath, and a few seconds later it was as though cool water was pouring onto his wrist. It washed away all the pain, all the tension, the horrible sensation of movement, the grinding of unhealed bone, the swollen flesh. All of it washed away and Tony gasped with the intensity of it. The sudden healing, the secession of pain made his head spin, made him feel like he was high.

The flow didn't stop, and Min cried out "Loki!" alarm clear in her voice.

Tony looked up, dizzy from the healing. Loki’s hand was still tight in his own, Tony tried to shake it off but Loki's grip was immovable. He was lying with the eyes closed, as relaxed as Tony had been, but a slow trickle of blood ran from his nose, bright red on his pale skin.

Min jabbed the shock stick in Loki's ribs, "Loki stop!" she cried, and when he didn't respond she had no choice but to shock him. She screwed her eyes shut and activated the stick. Tony felt the zap and burn of it up his arm, he yelped and Loki woke up.

Tony sat up on his gurney, looking over at Loki. He was dazed, struggling to sit up, but moving at least.

"Loki, are you OK?" Tony asked.

Loki rubbed his face, frowning as his hand came away bloody.

"I am not sure," he said, his voice weak. He looked up, and Min gasped at the sight. Loki was bleeding from his nose, his eyes were raw and bloodshot, his face a deathly pale. "I am tired," he said slowly, looking between them both, confused, as though he had no idea what had just happened.

"Um, maybe you should lie down again," Tony suggested, keeping his voice low and calm.  _ Water, _ he mouthed to Min, who dashed across the room to fetch some.

Loki nodded, his eyes unfocused. He lay back down, pulling Tony along with him. He curled on his side, his head on Tony's shoulder, awkwardly balanced on the two gurneys. "I will just rest for a moment..." he muttered, and then he was asleep.

Tony stared at Min, who had reappeared with a can of water in her hands. She had no idea what to do, and in whispers they both agreed to let Loki rest. Tony tried to wriggle out from under Loki, but the sleeping Asgardian threw an arm around him and held on. Remembering what had happened last time he disturbed Loki's sleep, Tony resigned himself to being Loki's pillow for a while.

"I'll take the watch," Min whispered, and went to sit by the door, the shock-stick still in her hand.

Loki snuffled into Tony's neck, and Tony let him get comfortable. What else could he do? They were former enemies, and Tony could hardly trust him, but Loki was the closest thing he had to an ally in this place. At least now his wrist was healed, and they had some access to Loki’s magical powers.

Tony let out a long breath, relaxed on the gurney, and let his ally get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some physical contact!


	5. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Awkward wave*
> 
> Hi there. SOoooo. It's been a while, huh? I feel so bad about leaving this story hanging, it's been on my mind a lot while I've been distracting myself with Stranded at the Drive-In (my crack-fic) and also publishing my second "real" book (The Prince's Fate). But I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, and thank you for your comments and encouragement!

It may have been day or night, or anything in between when Loki woke up. Tony was dozing, his arm numb under Loki’s weight. He had utterly lost track of the time, he only knew that the pain in his stomach from hunger was getting worse. Min was slumped in her chair by the door, her eyes closed, the shock-stick resting in her lax hand. Loki shifted, let out a pained gasp and pressed his hand to his eyes, blocking the dim light.

“Hey man,” Tony said. He was about to ask Loki if he was feeling better, but he didn't get the chance. Loki startled violently at the sound of his voice. He threw himself backwards, away from Tony, and tumbled off the gurney. Tony winced at the hard thump as Loki landed on the hard, cold floor of the medical bay.

Min scrambled to her feet. The shock-stick fell to the floor with a clatter and Tony cursed, jumping off the gurney and running around to check on Loki. The Asgardian was lying face down on the ground, his arms wrapped around his head, trembling. Tony reached out his hand, then stopped himself before he touched Loki’s shoulder. Loki had reacted very badly to being touched before, and Tony was not going to get his wrist broken again. He had only just got it fixed! Loki may have spent the past hours curled up on Tony’s shoulder like an affectionate cat, but this was different. He was awake now, and he did not like to be touched.

Min crouched beside him, “Loki?” she said, her soft voice seeming to calm Loki down. He took deep, regular breaths, pausing between inhale and exhale, and Tony found himself unconsciously mimicking the rhythm, calming himself as well. Tony sat on the floor and Min did the same, the girl setting an open can of water next to Loki’s arm. Tony started to talk, just to let Loki hear his voice and know where he was.

“Hey Loki, so I guess you had a good sleep huh? Or maybe not, after doing that magic. That seemed pretty rough, but my arm’s as good as new now, probably better than new actually, so thanks for that.” Tony twisted and rotated his wrist, feeling none of the agony of the broken bone or any of the aches and pops that he was accustomed to. It did indeed feel as good as new. Loki didn’t reply, so Tony carried on. “Um, so there’s water right next to you if you want it. Still no food though, we didn’t leave this area without you. I mean, of course we wouldn’t leave you asleep or anything...but yeah, I bet you’re hungry, I sure am...” Tony could have rambled on further but Loki moaned and clamped his arms tighter around his head.

“My head hurts,” he ground out, his voice like sandpaper, “It hurts.”

Tony shut up, exchanging an anxious glance with Min. He tore off his too-big prison shirt and folded it into a pad, then grabbed the can of water and soaked the shirt. Gingerly, he slipped the wet shirt under Loki's arm, trying to stay out of his reach and help him at the same time.

Loki clutched the shirt and pressed it to his face, letting out a breathy groan of relief as the damp, cool cloth eased his pain.

Tony bit his lip, worried. This was the same Loki who had raised his fist and walked the length of the deck after three days of rape and torture. If he was now immobile on the floor with his face buried in Tony's wet shirt, the pain must be intense.

A moment later Loki went limp, and it took Tony a moment to realize that he had passed out.

“Well shit,” he said. Again he tried to pat Loki’s shoulders before he thought better of it and hovered his hand awkwardly in the air above him.

“We should let him rest,” Min said, her voice tight. Tony nodded. There was not much else they could do. Loki was in no state to move himself, and he could react badly if Tony and Min tried to move him. The floor was only marginally less comfortable than the padded gurney anyway.

“Yeah, good plan,” Tony said, as his stomach growled and churned, empty of anything except water and hunger. He made a decision. “I’ll go look for some food." It must have been nearly two days since he had eaten, and humans did not do well with that kind of restriction. Min looked unhappy, but she didn’t argue. They all needed to eat, and she knew it. Tony gave her the shock stick and told her to pull the gurney back across the door when he was gone. He took the guard captain's body armor and helmet, for what good it did him. It was better than going shirtless.

The arc reactor lit the passageway with a bright blue glow as Tony walked away from the medical bay. He put his concern for Loki out of his mind. The magic he had performed using the energy from the arc reactor had hurt him somehow, that much was obvious. He had completed a simple healing spell, then fallen asleep for hours and woken up with a crippling headache. Tony knew that wasn’t normal, but there was nothing he could do for Loki that he wasn't already doing. Food would help them all. As little as he liked leaving Min alone with the unconscious prince, he could not wait much longer or he would be too weak to go.

At first, Tony tried to find the storage room that Loki had located. He wanted to stock up on water, and see if there was any food nearby, but he must have chosen a different path through the dusty, still ship. It was easy to get disoriented. There were no windows, and very little to differentiate each passageway of locked doors from the one before.

Tony counted his steps. His footsteps on the metal floor were the only sound to accompany him into the ship, and a shiver crawled over his skin. _ It’s just the cold, _ he told himself, and tried not to think of the endless corridors of The Overlook Hotel.

When he had reached five thousand steps, Tony paused. He didn’t like being alone in his place, the silence of it reminded him of an underground tomb more than a spaceship. Despite himself he missed his two companions. Shy Min and dangerous Loki. They were all he had, so far away from home.

Tony hugged himself, a wave of loneliness and desperation washing over him. He was alone here, alone and almost without resources. He refused to let himself give in to despair, but if he was honest and looked his situation full in the face, he did not know how he could survive it. He shook himself, trying to force the bleak thoughts from his mind. He was Tony Stark! He was Iron Man! He had been back from the dead more than once, and he could do it again.

At random, Tony picked a door. It was locked, like all the others, but he was fed up walking, and he needed to do something. He took off the helmet and used the edge of it to smash at the door control embedded into the wall. The sound echoed through the ship, far louder that Tony could have imagined. The control stayed dull, and the smashing seemed to have no effect. Frustrated, Tony kicked the door instead. His soft prison shoe did no damage at all, and gave him nothing but a bruised foot for his trouble.

Tony muttered to himself, jammed the helmet back on his head, and kept walking. Despite the size of the ship, he was claustrophobic. The passageways seemed to get narrower, the ceilings lower as he walked. The back of his neck prickled, but he forced himself to keep moving. He needed to eat, and Min and Loki did too.

Another five thousand steps, and Tony’s hopes were rising again. He had left the endless passageways behind and entered a more industrial area, passing through another of the giant airlocks. It was almost indistinguishable from the one they had crossed during their escape. Tony experienced a momentary deja-vu so strong that he had to double-check to make sure he hadn't somehow turned around and gone back the way he had come. The dust on the ground was undisturbed, however. It was new territory.

The passageways opened up almost immediately, revealing large bays; probably repair stations or work areas. They were all empty, but the space and openness was very welcome. The bays continued for another thousand steps or so, and then the room opened up into a vast hanger. At the near-end Tony saw the glimmer of an energy-field; the only barrier to the cold vacuum of space. Tony’s spirits leapt, eager to explore. He hurried out into the hanger, past the stacked up boxes and equipment that shielded the entrance.

Tony's heart almost stopped when he saw what was waiting for him. It was even better than food. 

“Hello there,” Tony whispered, a smile creeping across his face, his hunger and tiredness gone. 

Standing alone at the far end of the hanger was a spaceship. It was a shuttle, similar in size to the ones the prisoners boarded daily for their work shift. She was clunky-looking, dust heavy on her surfaces, but to Tony, she was beautiful. 

The shuttle was their chance for freedom, and they were going to take it. 


	6. Airlock

Tony explored the shuttle, and although the controls were alien and incomprehensible to him, the ship was not scrapped or derelict. He pushed a few buttons and lights came on, at least. In his mind, that meant the shuttle was in working order. Even better, he found a storage area, shelves stacked with cans of water and food. It was the same gruel that they had been fed in the cells, but Tony was so hungry he didn’t even care. He ripped open a can and ate the cold, sticky porridge with his fingers, moaning as the tight ball of hunger in his belly eased. He fashioned a cargo net into a bag and took three cans of water and three of food.

He was re-energized. He had food, he had water, he had a means off this slave ship. He was Tony Stark, and he was going home.

He headed back, almost giddy with excitement, the net bag heavy over his shoulder. He followed his own trail, reversing his path and finding the landmarks he remembered from his outward journey. The huge airlock, the smashed door controller, the disturbed dust on the floor and in the air. It was a long way, and he shifted the net to his other shoulder as he walked. His stamina was running out, and he was thinking that they should spend one last night in the medical bay, when he heard a sound that stopped his heart in his chest.

_ “...they’re around here somewhere, spread out and find them!” _

Tony froze, his breath still, as silent as the ship itself. He could not even tell which direction the floating words had come from, but he knew at once who had said them. The guards. The guards and their sadistic captain had found their hiding place. Perhaps they already had Loki and Min.

There was a long pause, and then the sound of footsteps; heavy boots on cold metal.

_ “We got the one they care about. _ ” Another voice spoke, a whining tone, unhappy at having to follow orders,  _ “We should leave the other two. Seal the airlock and let them starve.” _

The first voice again, impatient.  _ “Center wants them all back. If you wanna explain that we failed at that, you go right ahead, asshole. Tell me how it goes. Besides, that little girl looks a tasty treat...” _

The voices faded, and Tony backed away, one hand clamped over the light of the arc reactor. He was certain now that the voices were ahead of him, between him and the medical bay. The cans clanked in the net bag, bumping against his body armor. Tony froze, certain that the noise would carry in the silent air of the ship. He couldn’t put the bag down. There was nowhere to hide it, and setting it on the floor would make even more noise than carrying it. For the first time, he was grateful for the maze of corridors and the dim, intermittent lighting.

Tony searched his memory. How many guards had there been? Was it five, or six? He tried to picture them when they came for Loki the first time, standing outside the cell in an intimidating row. Six, he decided, including the captain. Six guards, armed with shock-sticks and with the ability to control the implant in his spine. And there was one of him, armed with cans of water and without the element of surprise. Tony did not like those odds. Even if Min had evaded them, she was just a kid. He hoped she had the good sense to hide, and to stay hidden.

Making his decision, Tony pictured the route in his mind. On silent feet, he hurried away.

**

He was breathless and exhausted when he arrived at the massive airlock. He allowed himself thirty seconds to breathe, and cracked one of his three cans of water and drank it down. He didn’t have long. The guards may already be behind him, they wouldn’t wait in that one area forever. They had Loki already, Tony could be certain of that, and they would want to secure him. That was Tony’s fear, that they would head back to their area with Loki, thinking they could come back later and capture him and Min. If that happened, Tony would never be able to get Loki back. He couldn’t let them leave. This was a risky plan, but Tony had nothing else. He was running on empty as it was, and sometimes the simplest plans were the most effective.

He examined the airlock controls. Unlike the door controls he had tried earlier, the panel activated when Tony tapped it. If he could get this massive metal door closed the game would change, but the labels were all symbols or icons that baffled the human. There was nothing remotely familiar, not even a big red ‘X’ with a picture of a guy getting sucked out into space.

Tony set down his bag. He brushed the layer of dust off the control panel, and studied it carefully. He only needed to close the door, that was all. Nothing fancy, and he didn’t care if it was the inner door or the outer one. He didn’t have much time. His neck prickled where he had his back to the passageway that loomed behind him. The guards could come up behind him at any moment, and then it would be over.

Ignoring the icons, Tony looked at the panel itself. Any control that had heavy use would be worn, especially on a ship as old as this one. Sure enough, Tony tilted his head and saw the sheen of the panel was scratched and worn on the top left. There was a row of three icons there, larger than the others. Tony considered. If he was going to design an airlock, what three controls would be the most prominent? 'Open door', 'close door', and what else? Maybe 'emergency stop'?

He shrugged. He had no time to experiment. He jabbed one of the icons, and a heavy clunk sounded from within the airlock. The door shivered, but it didn’t move. Maybe that was the 'open door' button? The door was already open, so nothing had happened. He tried to next one. Nothing. No clunk, no shiver. The third one was the same. Tony’s heart sank. He went back to the first one and tried it again, his palms sweaty, his anxiety rising with every passing moment. He had had to take a roundabout route to get here, and he knew he didn’t have much time. The clunk sounded again, and Tony realized that the door must be stuck. Perhaps it hadn’t been used in years, maybe decades. He went into the airlock and threw his weight against the door, rocking it from side to side. It hardly moved a millimeter, his human body-weight no match for the thick airlock door. Nevertheless, he tried. He put one foot up on the wall and strained, pulling against the door with all his strength. With a final wrench, the door came free and began to move, throwing Tony to the floor.

“Yes!” Tony hissed, triumphant. A split second later, he scrambled to his feet in a panic. He was on the wrong side! The door swung slowly, and Tony used the last of his energy to fling himself through it, rolling hard on the unforgiving floor as it shut behind him with a heavy thud.

_ Step one complete, _ Tony thought to himself. He took off his helmet, and with shaking arms he smashed the control panel.  _ Step Two. _

Tony leaned against the wall and caught his breath. He was exhausted. Beyond exhausted. He needed to eat and drink and rest, but he was not safe. None of them were safe until they were off this ship. He picked up the net bag, and cocked his head as he heard distant footsteps. He ghosted away, down a side-passageway, and then doubled back to spy on whoever was coming.

Six guards, marching in silence. One of them pushed a medical gurney, and on it lay Loki. He was either unconscious or immobilized by the implant. Bile rose in Tony’s mouth when he saw that Loki had been stripped naked. One of his arms hung limply off the side, and Tony ground his teeth. There was nothing he could do yet. There were six of them, and one of him. He had to bide his time.

The guards stopped in confusion when they came to the closed airlock and saw the smashed panel. Tony would have loved to see their faces, but he was smarter than that. He quickly headed away from them, back into the depths of the maze-like passageways.

Angry voices raised behind him, and one of them, Tony presumed it was the captain, yelled into the silent ship, “This won’t help you! You’re trapped here with us! We’ll find you!”

Tony didn’t stay to hear the rest. __

_ I may be trapped here with you, _ he thought, _ but you’re trapped here with me, too. _


	7. Min

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry if you got a "not available" notice on this chapter, I pulled it down to make a change, more in the end notes!

Despite his exhaustion, Tony searched for Min before he could let himself rest. He headed back to the medical bay, calling her name as loudly as he dared, but she was nowhere to be found. Tony couldn’t risk lingering. The guards would check back there soon enough, and he could not allow them to find him. Tony was dead on his feet. He could barely carry the net with his remaining food and water. If he didn’t sleep soon, he wasn’t going to be any good to anyone.

His heart heavy, Tony trudged away. He took a different route to avoid marking a clear trail, and headed back to the hanger. He was too tired to even count his steps, and he repeatedly found himself zoning out as he walked.

His feet found the shuttle without much help from his brain, and the feeling of relief when he arrived woke him up. The industrial area past the airlock felt like his territory, and the shuttle was his stronghold. Tony knew it was a fantasy, an illusion of safety, but he clung to it nonetheless. He needed it. Tony forced himself to eat and drink, then curled up at the back of the storage room and dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

He woke up cramped and cold, but feeling positive. He was still uncaptured, he had supplies and he had a base of operations. He ate more of the cold gruel and searched the shuttle from top to bottom. He found and put on some coveralls in dark blue. They had a logo on the breast that he had never seen around the ship, a gold crest like a stylized solar system. He put the body armor and helmet on as well, and immediately felt a lot better about his prospects. There were no boots or shoes, so he was still stuck with his soft prison slippers, but he wasn’t about to complain. There were no weapons either, but he took a piece of a hydraulic pipe that he found under the pilot’s chair. Judging from the grip-tape wrapped around one end, the long-departed pilot had used it for the same purpose that Tony intended to use it for.

Tony set out, swinging the pipe loosely in his hand, getting the feel of it. He had only one objective. Find his two companions, and bring them back to the shuttle. If he managed to get some revenge on the guards he would relish it, but he would not be distracted from his mission.

He was halfway back to the medical bay when he heard a piercing shriek. Min! Tony took off at a run in the direction he thought the sound came from. He prayed for the girl to scream again, so he could find her. She didn’t, but he heard a scuffle ahead of him, and coming around a corner he barrelled onto the scene without slowing down. Min was trying to fend off two guards. She had her shock-stick in her hand, but the ugly sneers of the men left no doubt what they thought of her efforts at self-defense. If she shocked one of them, the other would be on her, and they all knew it. Tony didn’t stop to think or negotiate. He swung his pipe at the nearest guard. Caught by surprise, the man turned directly into the strike. It caught him under the chin and lifted him off his feet with a sickening crunch. He went down hard, and Min shocked the other one before he knew what had happened. He slumped to the floor, twitching and unconscious.

“Hey Mini-Min,” Tony said, breathless, his heart pounding, adrenaline flooding his body. The fight was over almost too soon.

“Tony!” Min cried, and her face crumpled into helpless sobs. “I thought you were gone! I thought I was by myself, I didn’t know what to do! I heard them coming and Loki couldn't stand up and he told me to run and I didn't want to but he made me! I ran away and they took him!”

“Shhh, shhh,” Tony said, giving her a hard, tight squeeze, “It’s OK Mini. You did the right thing. If you'd stayed they would've got you too. You did the right thing, OK? We’re gonna get Loki back. Grab that guy’s helmet.”

Working fast, Tony took the guard’s helmets and body armor, their shock-sticks and the control devices for the implants. Min put a helmet on her head and strapped on a set of the over-large body armor. She carried the rest of the equipment bundled in her arms. Tony chided himself for not bringing the net. They would have to go back to the shuttle and drop off their haul, to keep it out of the hands of the other guards.

After her initial outburst of fear and relief, Min got herself under control faster than Tony would have thought possible. She set her jaw and followed Tony's instructions without complaint or argument. She may be young, but she had steel in her spine, and Tony was glad to have her with him.

Now they were two. The odds were moving in their favor. The guard Tony had hit had a broken jaw. His face was swollen and puffy already, and Tony peeled back his lip to see misaligned and broken teeth. Good, he was definitely out of commission.

The other, however, would recover from the shock-stick in under an hour. Tony hefted the pipe in his hand, uncomfortable. He couldn’t afford to be the good-guy here. The guard was unconscious, but he wouldn’t be for very long. Tony thought of Loki, limping back onto the deck after three days in the hands of these same guards, beaten and whipped and raped. He knew what he had to do.

“Wait for me around the corner,” he told Min, pointing down the passageway.

Min awkwardly balanced the bundle of equipment in her arms and nodded, turning and heading away. She must know what Tony was planning, but she didn’t say anything about it.

Tony waited for her to turn the corner, then looked down at the unconscious guard, the man's face slack and almost peaceful. Tony had to hurry. He was doing what was necessary, but that didn’t make it any easier. He pulled off the man’s boots and put them on himself, knowing he was stalling. Then, he took a deep breath, and raised the pipe.

***

Tony led Min back to the shuttle. Her eyes grew wide as she saw it. “Tony!” she breathed, hope sparking in her eyes, the light from the stars glowing through the energy-field behind her. “Tony!”

“I know,” Tony said, “Our ticket out of here. I don’t know how to fly it. Or how to turn off the force-field over there. But one step at a time, right?”

Tony gave Min food and water, and made her sit down in one of the jump-seats behind the pilot and co-pilot seats.

“They have Loki,” she said when she had inhaled the sticky gruel. Her voice was tight, and her hand trembled where she held the empty can.

“I know,” Tony said grimly. The sight of Loki, sprawled naked and helpless on the gurney was burned into his brain. The guard captain was a sadist, and Tony had little doubt that he was taking his rage and frustration out on Loki even now. He could not delay.

Tony stood up. “I’m going to get him back,” he said, “You wait here.”

“I’m coming!” Min declared, standing up to face him. Tony looked at the girl, skeptical. A deep bruise crossed one side of her face, visible even under her dark skin, but she stared right back at him, determination glinting in her eyes.

Tony tried to persuade her. “Min, it’s safer here,” he said.

“I’m coming,” she repeated, her soft voice at odds with the situation they were in. “You need me. Loki needs me.”

“Fine,” Tony said, giving up in the face of her resolve. The truth was, he _did_ need her. There were four guards still out there, and only one of him. He needed all the help he could get. “If anything goes wrong, come back here,” he said, “If they get me, run away. Don’t take any chances, OK?”

Min nodded, and her helmet slipped down over her eyes. Tony smiled at her. “Brave girl,” he said, and helped her adjust the helmet strap for her smaller size.

Together, they left the relative safety of the shuttle and headed back out into the ship. They had a prince to rescue, and they were not leaving without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I went backward and forwards on if Tony would incapacitate the unconscious guard and when I posted it I had decided not to, but then my first comment (thank you Flutiste!) was basically saying "hey I think Tony would totally incapacitate that guard" and that pushed me other the edge so I went back and changed it. I think it's better this way, Tony would totally do that especially if he had to protect Min and Loki as well as himself. Let me know what you think!


	8. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo...has anybody been wondering what's been happening to Loki while Tony and Min have been getting their rescue mission going?  
> Sure you have! And here it is...
> 
> Warning: Loki whump and rape in this chapter

If Loki was grateful for anything, it was that Min had run when he had ordered her to. She could not have helped him. When the guards had come, Loki had not been able to see through the excruciating pain of his headache. He could not walk, he could barely even think or breathe past the agony of his arcane injury.

The energy from Tony’s device had wounded him somehow when he used it, damaged his arcane senses. Loki had no time to consider how it had happened, or if he could avoid it if he got the chance to connect with that power source again. He had no power left. The power he had drawn had been used to heal Tony's arm, whatever was left over had burned through him and left nothing but pain in its wake.

Thankfully Min had run, and the guards had not found her.

Loki hoped she was with Tony. If there was any way off this slave-ship, the ingenious Midgardian would find it, and he would take Min with him. Loki would not even blame them for taking such an escape route. Tony would no doubt be glad to free himself from the vow of obedience that Loki had forced on him, and to regain his freedom in all respects. Min was loyal, but she was young and scared, and Tony had treated her kindly in the hell of this slave-ship. Tony would persuade her that Loki was a lost cause. If there was a way, they would free themselves, and Loki would be left behind to suffer.

By the time they had reached the airlock, Loki’s agony had eased a little. It was enough for him to be able to see, but of course by that time the captain had already used the implant to paralyze him. A spark of hope kindled in Loki’s belly when he realized through his haze of pain and panic that the airlock door had been sabotaged. Perhaps he had not been utterly abandoned, after all.

Back at the medical bay, the captain dragged him off the gurney and left him crumpled on the floor while he screamed at his men for being worthless, incompetent scum. Loki couldn’t help but agree with him on all those points. The screaming had to end, unfortunately, and the men went out on patrol, leaving Loki alone with the captain.

Loki was expecting to be raped. From the moment the Captain had leered down at him and ordered him stripped, he had known it was coming. He had thought he was ready for it, but he still was sickened when the captain kicked his legs apart and forced his way inside him.  _ Don’t fight, _ he had told Min back on the deck, and he had meant it. Not just physically, but mentally. Don’t fight, don’t resist. It will only hurt more. Just float away.

It was hard, though. Hard to remove himself from what was happening to him. It wasn’t just the pain, although that was intense. It was also the captain panting his foul breath in Loki’s face, his hands like claws, nails digging into his skin, tearing at him from both inside and out.

Loki kept his eyes open as much as he could. Pain in the dark was something he could not tolerate. Not that he could tolerate pain in the light of day either, but he had no choice about the pain, only about whether he kept his eyes open, or allowed them to close. The sight of the captain’s face, screwed up with lust and power, was preferable to the dark flashes of the dusty, empty kingdom of Thanos, the place where Loki had been broken and remade as the Mad Titan’s weapon. Loki kept his eyes open, unable even to shudder in disgust as the captain grunted and finished inside him, leaving him in a patch of semen and blood, like a broken doll.

The captain didn’t let him sleep. Nor did he let him drink any water from the cans they had left in the medical bay. He did drink one himself, standing where Loki could see him, and he and let the last few drops trickle to the floor by Loki’s face. Loki was so thirsty he could smell that water, but as with everything else that was done to him, there was nothing he could do about it.

Loki had no idea how much time had passed. The captain didn’t share him with his men, and he never left the medical bay. He paced up and down, boots ringing on the cold metal, screaming at his men as they returned from patrols empty handed, beating and raping Loki, and muttering to himself about the Center. Loki strained his ears to listen as he ranted, only catching snippets as he stomped up and down the long room.

“...don’t know why they care about him so much...send him through the gateway when we get him back...open the airlock if they wanted to...not my fault…” he ranted on, and Loki was ignored, at least for a precious few minutes.

Loki happened to be facing the door when two injured guards returned. Even the captain was stunned into silence. Loki recognized the flat-nosed guard as he dragged the other into the medical bay. He was the one who had given Loki the black clothes he had returned to the deck wearing, only now the man's face was distorted, swollen and bruised. Loki thought he was hallucinating at first, until the man spoke. His voice thick and slurred, it was obviously painful for him even to move his jaw.

“It was an ambush,” the guard managed to explain. He stumbled into the room, leaving his companion lying motionless on the floor. Neither of them were wearing their body armor or helmets, and the one on the floor had also lost his boots. “That little bitch showed up out of nowhere. While we were dealing with her, the other one, his boyfriend,” he pointed at Loki accusingly, as if Loki had anything to do with what had happened. “His boyfriend showed up with a club and smashed my jaw.” He paused, leaning on a gurney, blood and sweat running down his face.

“What happened to  _ him _ ?” The captain demanded, pointing at the unmoving guard on the floor. Loki could not see if he was breathing, but he supposed he must be or flat-nose would have left his body out in the passageways.

“The bitch shocked him,” the injured guard said, cupping his hand to his face, swaying as he stood, drooling blood from his misshapen mouth. “That’s all I know, when I came around, he was like that. They must have worked him over.”

Loki would have smiled if he could. A wolfish, delighted smile.  _ Two down,  _ he thought to himself.  _ Well done, Min. Well done, Tony. _

His elation didn’t last long. The captain decided that Loki should be punished for his companion’s crimes. The man ripped his belt out of its loops and kicked Loki over onto his belly. He beat Loki's thighs, the backs of his knees, his ass and shoulders, and the soles of his feet. He beat him everywhere, and all Loki could do was breathe, and keep his eyes open.

_ They will come for me,  _ he told himself as the captain’s belt came down on him over and over, a rain of heavy blows that turned his flesh to bloody pulp.  _ They will come for me. They will come for me. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? I know there are some folks out there who can't get enough whump, I'm not a very experienced whump writer but I am trying to broaden my repertoire :)


	9. Guards

Tony and Min walked back into danger side-by-side. The medical bay was obvious choice for the guards to use as a temporary base. It had beds and it was defensible. There were no better options and no other leads, so Tony and Min headed that way.

It was a long walk, and Tony turned his mind away from what Loki was almost certainly suffering. Dwelling on it wouldn't help. Loki had been in the captain’s hands twice before and the man had not held back from indulging his every base desire. Tony glanced over at Min, the reality of what he was taking her into crystallizing in his mind.

He stopped, turning to face her, “Mini-Min,” he said as she halted beside him with a curious look, “I think you should go back to the shuttle.”

Min clenched her fist around her shock-stick. “I’m coming,” she said, “We already decided.”

Tony shuffled his feet. There was no nice way to put this, but he tried. “If those guys get you, you know what will happen, right?”

Min’s jaw tightened and she nodded. “I know,” she said, looking at the ground. “Loki told me not to fight. If that happened. He said they just hurt you more.”

Tony’s stomach turned over. Loki spoke from experience. As much as Tony had been though, he had not had to deal with that kind of pain. “Yeah,” he said, “That’s why I want you to go back to the shuttle. So that doesn’t happen to you.”

The girl glared at him, her lip trembling. “They’ll do it to you,” she said. “They did it to Loki. I won’t go back. Loki needs me. I'm his page...” she stopped, taking a gulping breath of air before she could carry on. "He took care of me, all the time we've been here. I'm coming."

They didn't have time to argue, and Min obviously was not going to back down. "OK," Tony said, a ball of anxiety growing in the pit of his stomach, "OK, but listen. Loki gave you good advice about not fighting, but that only applies when they’re gonna let you go after. That’s not the situation now, you know? So I've got some new advice for you."

Min was listening, her dark eyes intent on Tony. He had maybe two minutes to impart the best survival tip he could, and he knew exactly what it should be. "My auntie taught me this,” he said. “Well, she wasn’t my auntie, she was an old friend of my dad, but…” Tony refocused and took Min by the shoulders. “Min, if one of those fuckers gets their hands on you, grab their balls as hard as you can. Really get your fingers dug in back there, and then twist ‘em like a stuck doorknob. Don't hesitate. I swear to you Min, they’ll go down crying for their mama.”

Min stared at him, a flush spreading across her face. “Tony…” she said, unsure if she was allowed to giggle.

“I’m serious Min, every guy will say, ‘don’t go below the belt’ but there’s a reason they all say that! It hurts Min! It hurts so bad! Honorable victory matters a lot less than survival.”

“Loki always said that honor was for dead men,” Min said, unconsciously making a claw-like gesture with her hand and twisting her wrist.

“Yeah, and Loki's still alive,” Tony said, thinking back to the unconscious guard he had incapacitated. Perhaps he and Loki had more in common than he had thought. “Take my auntie’s advice. Twist ‘em like a doorknob. No mercy.”

Min did giggle at that, “No mercy,” she repeated back, trying to keep a straight face.

“Good girl,” Tony said, and they walked on.

***

The guards were at the medical bay. Tony could hear yelling and shouting as they approached. The two guards they had encountered earlier must have made their way back to base or been found by their comrades.

_ “...find them!”  _ A harsh voice was almost screaming, and Tony assumed it was the captain.  _ “Find them! I want them both alive!” _

There was some muffled arguing, more raised voices, and then the slam of a door.

_ “Maybe  _ he _ should get out here and find them,” _ another voice complained, moving away from where Tony and Min stood pressed to the side of the passageway. “ _ Instead of fucking with that Asgardian all the fucking time. _ ”

_ “You’re just cranky that you didn’t get a turn... _ ” the voices faded away, and Tony and Min looked at each other. They had come prepared this time. They both held a shock-stick as well as Tony’s pipe. In addition, Tony and Min knew the passageways slightly better than the guards, and they both had nothing to lose.

“We’ll come up behind them,” Tony whispered in Min’s ear, “Shock them from behind. Be as quiet as you can.”

Min nodded grimly. “No mercy,” she whispered back, and Tony gave her a broad grin. Min was fierce with that shock-stick in her hand, and Tony was glad to have her with him.

They moved parallel with the guards, occasionally catching snippets of their complaints. The guards seemed to have no idea of stealth, perhaps they were not even trying to find Tony and Min, despite the captain's orders. Guarding subdued slaves from behind a locked door was a different experience to being trapped without food or backup on the wrong side of an airlock, trying to recapture rogue prisoners who had already taken down two of your buddies. Tony hoped they were afraid, but from their conversation it seemed they were just fed up. They weren’t smart enough to be afraid.

“They’re well away from here by now,” one of the guards was saying, “We’re wasting our time.”

“I’m hungry,” the other complained, “What good is it gonna do to find them if we’re all still stuck here? We should be looking for a way around that damned airlock.”

The first guard laughed, humorless. “If we find them,” he said, as though explaining to a child, “Maybe center will open that fucking door!”

Tony nodded to Min, and they stepped out from the side passage where they had hidden while the guards passed by. They activated their shock-sticks and the guards convulsed and fell to the ground. It was almost too easy.

A split second later, Tony realized it  _ had  _ been too easy. There was a sickening crunch in his spine, his vision whited out and he collapsed, boneless. Min stared down at him, horrified. At the sound of footsteps the girl looked back behind them, her eyes wide, her face ashen grey.

“ _ Well, well, _ ” a third voice echoed down the passageway, satisfaction clear in the smug tone, “ _ What have we here?” _

_ Run _ , Tony thought desperately, staring up at Min, unable to speak.  _ Run _ .


	10. Allies

Tony could only stare blankly upward as Min hesitated for a moment, then turned on her heel and fled. The sound of her pounding feet fading into the distance, and the third guard came into Tony’s field of vision. He held a control device in his hand, stabbing at one of the buttons with an angry finger. “Too far…” he muttered, but then he shrugged and looked down at Tony, vicious triumph on his face. “That little bitch won’t last long by herself anyway,” he said. He looked at his two unconscious friends, taken out by the shock-sticks. His face showed no sympathy for them, and Tony was sure he had deliberately used them as bait, to draw out Tony and Min and get close enough to use the implants. 

Tony's inner-scientist filed away his useful observations: only one implant could be controlled at one time, and the controls had a limited range. Tony didn’t know what he could do with that information right now, but he noted it nonetheless. 

The guard sneered, his face pinched. He gave Tony a sharp kick in his ribs. Tony's breath stopped. It was too close to the arc reactor, his rib cage was weak, his heart was vulnerable. Tony felt his ribs shift, and tasted bile in his mouth. One well aimed kick to the chest and he was dead, whether the guard intended it or no.

Luckily the guard didn’t waste time tormenting Tony. He threw a last unsympathetic glance back at his helpless companions and then grabbed one of Tony’s ankles. He roughly dragged his limp body through the passageways toward the medical bay, where the captain would be waiting. 

As he was dragged, Tony tried to move. He tried to flex his little finger, tried to do anything at all, but he couldn’t. It was like the worst, most terrifying case of sleep-paralysis he had ever experienced, except that he was awake, and it wasn’t going to end. He couldn’t move, but he could feel. He could feel the metal floor under his body, the bumps as the rim of his helmet caught on the small irregularities and joints. Worse, he could feel the metal implant in his spine scraping on the floor. The grinding sensation vibrated through his bones, through his nerves and into his brain. Tony’s heart was beating painfully in his chest, his breath was short, his vision was fading out. He was having a panic attack, and he didn’t know how to stop it.  _ Now’s probably a good time to panic anyway,  _ he thought to himself. It was as though he was watching from afar, giving himself permission to freak out. 

The guard was talking to himself, and Tony focused on that to try and avoid passing out. He regretted it almost immediately. “...Captain’s going to have fun with you. I’ll finally get my turn with that Asgardian that he’s so fond of, if he’s not too used up by now.” The guard let out a dark chuckle, “Captain really hates that one, but he can’t get enough of him either. I’m sure he’ll take a break from fucking him to have some fun with you, though.” 

He stopped dragging Tony for a moment, readjusting his grip on his foot. Tony had no choice but to stare up into his lustful face, the man’s deep-set eyes glinting with his fevered fantasies. Tony would have shuddered if he could, but all he could do was close his eyes. He knew what Loki was suffering, and now he was going to suffer it too.

At least Min had got away. Tony hoped she could find her way back to the shuttle, perhaps find some way off the slave-ship. Tony snapped his eyes open a moment later when he heard a sizzling zap, and then a thump. The guard fell forward, his face frozen, and behind him stood Min, her shock stick in her hand. 

Min! Tony thought, his panic and fear draining away, hope rising again. She had run, but she had come back! 

“Tony!” the girl exclaimed, shoving the guard’s body off of him and kneeling by his side. “Tony, I don’t know what to do! How do I turn it off?” Min snatched the control device from the unconscious guard’s belt and held it up. 

Tony blinked at her, slow and deliberate, and Min understood. She pointed to each button in turn and waited for Tony’s rapid flurry of blinks to press the indicated button and release Tony from the paralysis. 

Tony surged up and wrapped the girl in a bear hug, ignoring the painful sizzle as his muscles were returned to his control. “You’re amazing,” he said, “Thank you.” 

Min hugged him back, “ _ You  _ wanted to leave me behind at the shuttle,” she reminded him, well pleased with herself. 

“Yeah, I was wrong about that," Tony replied without hesitation, "Min, you’re becoming quite the badass.” Tony smiled at her, tucked an escaping curl back behind her ear. “Are you sure you want to go back to library duty when we get back to Asgard?” 

Min grinned, energized by her victory. “Perhaps not,” she said, "I hear the Valkyrie are open to new recruits." Tony's certainty that they would be going home brightened in her eyes, as Tony had intended.

Together, they dragged the third guard back to the other two, and zapped them all one more time with the shock-stick. They ripped up their shirts and tied them wrist to ankle in a tangle of limbs, like a king-rat. The guards would not be getting back to the medical bay in a hurry. 

That left the captain, the guard with the broken jaw, and the guard Tony had incapacitated. Tony had broken both his knees and then his nose. The knees were to immobilize him, but the nose was for Loki. The guard deserved it. He deserved far worse, for what he had done to Loki, but Tony wasn’t a monster and he had no desire to become one. 

Wordless, the two companions headed for the medical bay. It was time.

_ We’re coming Loki, _ Tony thought.

He was unsure when he had become so protective of the Asgardian. Despite the way Loki had treated him; arrogant, superior, demanding, ordering him around, punishing him when he didn’t obey, Tony still found himself attached to the man. Adversity formed strange bonds, and Tony reminded himself that Loki had been protective of him too, in his own way. He had tried to prevent him from talking to Darronu back on the deck, because Loki thought Darronu was a threat. He had procured gloves for Tony, when the ore would have shredded his human hands. Most of all, he had taken the punishment that would have killed Tony. He had endured three days of torture, and all he had asked for in return was Tony's obedience to his orders.

There was no getting away from it. They were allies, and Tony didn’t leave allies behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Min! Don't underestimate a girl, you asshole guards!


	11. The Captain

Tony kept the control device in his hand as they crept toward the medical bay. As soon as they were in range he would try to release Loki from the paralysis. Loki had been in the captain’s hands for nearly a full day. He would be in no condition to assist in his own rescue, but Tony could not leave him helpless for a moment longer than he had to.

The air was silent and still around them, the only sound was their heartbeat in their ears as they stood before the door. Tony held up his fingers in a silent countdown.

Three, two, one.

Tony and Min burst through the door and into the medical bay.

Deja-vu flooded Tony’s mind as he saw the scene in front of him. Loki was helpless on his back, the captain standing over him. He had no whip this time, instead there was a belt in his hand, Loki’s blood staining it. They had been here before. Tony, Loki and the captain as well, with Loki suffering over and over. Tony tasted copper.

Luckily Min wasn’t distracted. She turned and shocked the guard with the broken jaw as he tried to get up from a gurney and lurch towards them. He went down and stayed down. Tony ran for Loki's torturer, his finger pounding on the button to release Loki. Tony crashed into the captain at full speed, and they tumbled to the ground together.

The captain was strong. He he was freakishly strong and heavier than Tony by at least fifty pounds. Tony had thrown away his advantage, his shock stick tumbled out of his reach and the pipe was still in his belt. His vision was red, furious and desperate. He had left Loki in the hands of this monster and it was time for him to pay.

The captain rolled them, landing on top and punching Tony in the face. He heard a crack as his nose broke under the man’s fist. Tony fought back, but the captain was relentless. He got his hands around Tony’s neck, and Tony’s vision began to sparkle and fade out. In the blurred distance, he could see Min hitting his assailant with the shock-stick, pounding on his head and neck, using it like a club. It must be out of juice. The captain didn't even seem to feel it. He hunched down and squeezed his hands around Tony’s throat. His eyes alight with sadistic glee.

"Finally come back for your boyfriend?" he sneered. Tony could only gasp in response, his throat closing. "He likes it rough, you know. He moans like a whore when I fuck him!"

_ No mercy,  _ Tony thought, and with his last conscious effort he forced his hand down between the two of them. The captain’s eyes bulged as Tony grabbed his balls, hard, as hard as he had told Min to do it, like a bag of squishy grapes in his hand. Tony had no leverage to twist, but he dug his fingers in, tried to pull the man’s balls off of his body. The captain let go of his neck to punch him again, weaker this time, then frantically as Tony did not let go. He could not. If he let go the man would go back to choking him and Tony couldn’t survive that a second time.

A hand shoved Min away. Loki, crawling on his hands and knees, covered in his own blood, yanked the pipe out of Tony’s belt and with a single blow, he smashed it over the captain’s head.

Silence. The captain’s eyes turned up and he fell like a tree. For the second time in an hour Tony was crushed beneath the weight of a falling guard. Tony threw him off and rolled onto his stomach, wheezing for breath, his throat already swelling. It was hard to get oxygen, pinpricks of light danced in front of his eyes.

He blinked and tried to focus. The captain was down. Broken-jaw was down. The guard with the broken-nose hadn’t even moved from his gurney. Either he had a major concussion or he was wisely playing dead. Them, plus the three tied up outside made six.

They had done it.

Min grabbed the captain’s shock-stick, tossing aside her de-charged, useless weapon. She scanned the room before she turned back to Loki, her face open and horrified at what she saw. The evidence of the captain's abuse was all over Loki's body, and all over the floor around them. The bloody belt, the captain’s unbuttoned pants, Loki’s expression of rage and pain. Min held out her hands to Loki, tried to offer him comfort.

Tony could have told her that was a mistake.

“Out,” Loki croaked, pushing the girl away from him, pointing at the door with the pipe he still held.

“Loki?” Min said, her face falling at his reaction.

“Out!” Loki roared at them, scrambling to his feet, slipping in blood and falling back to the floor. “Both of you out! Now!”

Tony’s chest throbbed with the force of Loki’s command, the magical bond between them was still active, and as strong ever. In a moment the pain would start, and Tony was already too weak, injured, and half-choked to tolerate it. He spat blood from his mouth and staggered to his feet.

He knew why Loki wanted them gone. He did not want to be seen naked and bloody, raped and tortured. He wanted privacy. And he wanted time alone with the captain, and with the heavy pipe he held.

“Min,” Tony said, cutting off her protest, shooing her to the door. As Tony obeyed, the pressure in his chest eased. He took Min outside and shut the door. They waited in silence, minutes ticking by. Tony shuffled his feet as dull thuds and grunts of pain and exertion leaked through the door. They wordlessly walked to the end of the hallway, avoiding eye contact.

Tony was zoned out, tired and in pain, his nose throbbed and he tasted blood every time he swallowed. The door slammed open and he was jerked back into the moment. Loki was wearing the captain’s clothes, carrying the pipe. His feet were bare and he held a pair of boots in his hand. Loki’s eyes were wild, staring far into the distance, his hair tangled, a spray of bright red across his cheek.

“Hey,” Tony said, as gentle as he could, his voice hoarse from the captain's attempt to strangle him.

“Let us be gone from here,” Loki said, his voice strangely calm, dream-like. He did not question that they had somewhere to go. Perhaps he didn't even think about it.

“Um,” Tony said, remembering all the ways Loki had hurt him. He did not want to risk triggering a defensive response of any kind. “Um, yeah. We’ll go. We can bring you on a gurney…”

“No!” Loki responded at once, his green eyes snapped into focus, boring into Tony’s skull. “You will not. I will walk.”

Tony swallowed and looked at the trail of bloody footprints that Loki was leaving. A clear and obvious trail for anyone who wanted to follow them. Tony pointed at the footprints, but Loki just stared at him, uncomprehending. He didn't even turn his head to look where Tony was pointing. It was as though Tony was making some strange, alien gesture that Loki had never seen before.

_ Boy, he’s really out of it,  _ Tony thought to himself. Luckily Min realized the problem.

“Your feet, my prince,” she murmured with a respectful bob of her head, “We can be followed.”

Loki finally looked down, studied the floor, then his own feet, the soles torn and bruised from the captains belt. It was obvious why he had not wanted to put on the boots, and Tony wondered how they could persuade him to get on a gurney. The last time he had been on one, he had been the captain’s naked and defenseless prisoner. Tony did not have to, however, as Loki abruptly sat down on the floor and roughly pulled the boots onto his feet. “I will walk,” he said, stubborn as a toddler.

“Sure,” Tony said, encouraging. He mentally tried to calculate if Loki could make it even half-way to the shuttle without collapsing, but he didn't bother arguing.

They walked away from the medical bay without looking back. Whatever Loki had done to the captain and the two guards in there was his business. The three they had left tied up in the passageways were no loss either, as far as Tony was concerned. They were slavers and rapists, and they deserved their fate.

Tony, Loki and Min were going home. 


	12. Sleep

Loki made it about a quarter of the way to the shuttle on his own. First he put one heavy hand on Min’s shoulder, and not long after the other hand on Tony’s. They took most of his weight, but he did walk, as he had said he would. He was half-conscious, his eyes falling shut, his feet dragging. A soft whimper fell from his lips with every step he forced himself to take. But he walked.

 At the airlock, Tony smashed the outer controls and then closed the doors from his side. Although the broken controls would be a clear indicator which way they had gone, the relief of the massive doors closing behind them was worth it. Not for the first time, Tony wondered what this huge, virtually empty ship was doing floating out here, harvesting ore and taking slaves. It made little sense, and he had no answers. All he could do was seal off their section of the ship, and get himself and his companions to some kind of safety.

Loki was dead on his feet when they arrived at the hanger. In his earlier exploration of the shuttle, Tony had discovered that the crew seating area converted to a set of bunks. There was a wider bunk on the bottom and a narrower one on the top. That was where he guided Loki. There were no blankets or pillows, but Loki didn’t even notice the lack when Tony and Min guided him to lower bunk and laid him down. As gently as he could, Tony eased Loki’s boots off, wincing as he pulled at the damaged flesh underneath. He didn’t try to undress him though, or to remove the heavy pipe Loki somehow was still clutching in his hand.

“I’ll take the watch,” Tony said, pointing Min to the upper bunk. She didn’t argue. She handed him her charged shock-stick and climbed up, rubbing her face, looking like nothing more than a tired teenager. Tony grabbed her a can of water and passed it up, and set one by Loki’s hand too.

They both were asleep in moments, exhausted, physically and mentally.

Tony settled himself at the back of the shuttle where he could see both the entrance to the hanger, and the star-field shining through the energy field. He knew he should watch the door, but his eyes were endlessly drawn to the stars, spread across the vast sky. One of those stars may be his very own sun, shining down on the green and blue of the planet earth. Tony swallowed past the lump of homesickness in his throat.

He ate a can of the tasteless porridge and drank another ration of water. The storage area was full of them, enough for months for the three of them, and Tony was glad to have a full belly for once.

Hours passed, and the stars turned. For the first time in a long time, Tony could just sit. Sit and rest and watch the stars. He had done what he could, and right now, there was nothing more he could do. Even Tony could recognize that he was at his limit; keeping watch and feeding himself was the most that he could do. If he tried to do more, perhaps tried to puzzle through the shuttle controls, or tried to figure out how to deactivate the energy field, he would make a mistake. He could hurt himself or his companions. It had taken him a long time to be able to find that point, when his efforts began to work against him, when his drive and refusal to quit became damaging, but he knew it now.

Just because he could, Tony went to get another can of food. He glanced at the two sleepers on his way back out. Min was sprawled out on the top bunk, her dark curls were sweaty and crushed from wearing the helmet, but her face was open and rested, her breath soft. Loki was the opposite. He was pressed to the very back of the lower bunk. He was sleeping, but his eyes twitched under their lids, his hands were clenched, his breath shallow and whimpering.

Tony stood back, away from the reach of the metal pipe. He had learned his lesson in that regard. “Loki,” he said, trying to wake him from his nightmare. “It’s Tony. You’re with me. You’re OK.”

“Tony…” Loki mumbled, not waking, reaching out with one sleepy hand.

“Yeah, it’s me. You’re safe, we're in a safe place, OK?” Tony said. It was not entirely true. They were still on the slave-ship, but they were in a relatively safe situation, compared to the day before.

Loki relaxed, his hands unclenching, his breath easing. “Tony…” he muttered again, and Tony was about to head back to his post, food in his hand, when Loki rolled over in his sleep and said, “Tony, here.”

“Um…” Tony shuddered as the magical bond triggered, a deep pulse in his chest, urging him back to Loki’s bunk. “Loki,” he said, a little louder, hoping to wake him up. But it was no good. Loki was deeply asleep, unconscious for now, and Tony had seen what he could do when he was woken up. He had snapped Tony’s wrist in such a situation. Tony took a step towards the bunk, easing the tug in his chest. A baby step, buying time.

“Min, are you awake?” he said urgently, “Min, wake up.”

“Umph,” the girl said, and sat up in her bunk, banging her head on the low ceiling. “Argh. I’m awake.”

Tony tossed the shock stick up onto her bunk. He put one knee on the lower bunk. “Take the watch,” he said, “And eat something.” His second can of food landed next to her. Tony crawled onto Loki’s bunk, unable to resist the urging of the magic. The thought of allowing the pain to trigger was too much for him. He did not think he could tolerate it. Not now. Obedience was easier. He would berate Loki over it when he woke up.

Min stretched, climbed down from her bunk and looked curiously at Tony, his helmet, body armor and boots still on, laying down next to Loki. Still deeply asleep, the Asgardian turned and threw an arm over Tony’s shoulders.

“Don’t ask,” Tony whispered, managing to wrench his helmet off before Loki wrapped him up in his strong arms. “Your prince likes to cuddle.”

It was hardly the strangest thing Min had seen these past few days. She yawned, took her food and the shock-stick, and went to her post.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always a sucker for bedsharing. Let's see what Loki thinks of it when he wakes up...


	13. Wake

Tony woke up with Loki’s nose snuffled into the crook of his neck, warm breath tickling his skin. Loki was relaxed, sleeping soundly in peace and comfort, far from the whimpering nightmares of the previous night. Actually, Tony didn’t even know if it was night or day. He didn’t know how long it had been since they escaped from the slave-deck. Events had blurred together in a long jumble of fear and adrenaline. Without the cues of daylight and darkness, Tony had completely lost track of passing time.

But not now. Now, everything had slowed down. Tony was on the shuttle, being snuggled by the guy who had broken his wrist, and who had put an obedience spell on him.

Tony was surprisingly OK about it.

Loki grunted, his eyelids fluttering. He was waking up, and Tony tensed, bracing himself for Loki’s reaction. The Asgardian was unpredictable, to say the least. Of the three of them, Loki had suffered the most, he had been hurt more deeply and more brutally. He had been in this place longer than Tony, and he had done anything and everything necessary to protect Min. He had every right to be jumpy and defensive, but Tony would rather he did it when Tony wasn’t lying next to him in bed, his literal prisoner.

Green eyes opened, and Tony held his breath. Loki froze, his comfortable relaxed state vanished, his muscles tensed, his breath hitched.

“Stark,” he said, his voice hoarse, half a question, as though he may still be dreaming.

“Yeah,” Tony replied, keeping a low, even tone.  _ No need to freak out Loki, just a couple of guys enjoying a cuddle after a daring escape from being tortured and abused. Everything’s cool. Everything's fine. _

There was a long pause. They were still wrapped up in each other. Loki was an octopus, his long limbs had found handholds and footholds all over Tony’s body, and he did not seem to be ready to let go.

Tony couldn’t handle the silence. “You told me to come here,” he explained, “and I couldn’t wake you up, so...here I am.”

Another long, awkward silence.

“I see,” Loki said, the words falling from his mouth in slow motion.

“Um...it’s not that I  _ mind  _ being ordered into your bed Loki, but usually I get dinner first, or at least a drink….” To Tony’s immeasurable relief, he felt the curve of Loki’s smile through the thin fabric of his purloined jumpsuit. Loki untangled himself from Tony and retreated to his half of the bunk. Loki had been doing a surprisingly good job of keeping Tony warm. Without his body heat or any blankets, Tony found himself shivering in the chill air of the shuttle.

Loki looked away. “I apologize Tony, I was not...I was not aware of my words.” Loki retreated to formality, rather than to explosive violence. Both options protected him, shields of different kinds, but shields nonetheless.

Tony sat up and stretched. The body armor he had been forced to sleep in was not the most comfortable, and he was sure he didn’t smell too fresh either.

He didn’t look back at Loki. Instead, he stared at the wall opposite.

“You OK?” he asked. Unseen, Loki sucked in a harsh breath, then let it out slowly while Tony waited, eyes averted.

“Yes,” Loki said eventually. “Yes. I am as well as I could hope to be.”

“Uh huh,” Tony said, noting the deliberately ambiguous response, but not commenting on it. “Well, if you want to talk…”

Silence was his only answer, and Tony nodded and stood up. Loki was going to handle what had happened to him the way he was going to handle it. Tony had no clue how he would react in the same situation, and he wasn't going to judge Loki's coping mechanisms. If formality, calm dissociation and denial was going to be helpful, so be it.

Tony left Loki to gather himself. He grabbed some food and water from their plentiful supplies and went to check on Min. The girl was sitting on the metal loading ramp. Her view of the hanger door was clear, but what really had her attention was the book of transparent, glossy pages on her lap. As she turned each page, three-dimensional text and diagrams flashed up in the air. Her quick fingers could manipulate the information before folding it back into the book and turning to the next page. It reminded Tony of one of his light-tables, generating blue-prints and models for him to experiment with. Unlike his own tech, however, none of the text was in any language, or even any alphabet that Tony could read.

“What’cha reading Mini-Min?” Tony inquired, curious.

Min held up the book for Tony to see. It had a battered metal cover, the corners bent, stains and scratches on the surface. “Flight-book,” she said.

Tony’s interest was piqued, “You can read it?” he asked, at the same time as Loki walked out onto the ramp, saw the book and asked, “Is that from Tornatt?”

Min looked between them, then back at the book. “I found it in the cabin,” she said, answering Loki first. “It’s in the Tornation language, but not a dialect I am very familiar with.”

“I wasn’t aware you could read Tornation at all, Min,” Loki said, looking over the book and handing it back to the girl. “It’s a dead language, now.”

Min opened the book again, glowing text forming in the air before her eyes. “When I was told I was to accompany you to Tornatt, I studied the language in the days before we left.” Min rubbed her eyes, remembering when the trip to Tornatt with Loki had seemed an exciting opportunity for her, not the nightmare it had turned into. “I wanted to help you with your studies, my prince. To be useful to you.”

Loki sat at the top of the ramp, a little apart from the two of them. He seemed struck with the reminder that he had brought Min into this situation, that he was responsible for her ordeal. “You have been more useful than you know, Min.” He gazed out at the starfield, his eyes distant. “I would not have survived this if it was not for you. Both of you. You had all this," he gestured around him, "This shuttle, food, water, safety, shelter. And you still came back for me.” Loki wiped his face, overcome with emotion, holding himself together with the slenderest thread. “I owe you both my thanks. I...I am in your debt.”

"Of course we came back, my prince," Min said, leaning forward earnestly, "Of course we did."

Loki shook his head, his eyes shining with unshed tears, as though to say there was no ' _ of course' _ about it.

“And don’t forget I let you cuddle me,” Tony added, trying to lighten the mood, to help Loki keep himself under control.

It worked. Loki smiled and tipped his head back, looking up at the distant roof of the hanger, “Tony…” he said with an exaggerated sigh, “Tony, do not tempt me. You make a very comfortable pillow."

Tony snorted, and Min giggled, the tension falling away from them. Tony could repress his emotions as well as any of them. They were closer to freedom now than they had been since setting foot on this ship. They could cry later. They could fall apart when it was safe to do so. Now, they needed to focus.

The three of them sat side by side, eating and drinking, watching the stars and listening to the gentle rustle of Min turning the pages of her book. It was peaceful, for a moment. They were as safe as they could be, they had food, they had water, they had each other.

“So,” Tony said, when they had all eaten and drunk, and Min had finished reading the Tornation flight-book, “Are we getting off this garbage-ship or what?”


	14. Teamwork

Getting off the ship turned out to be the easy part. Min, having reviewed the flight-book, took the co-pilot's seat next to Loki, who took the pilot's seat. Tony strapped himself into the jump-seat behind them and was unable to stop himself from asking, “You do know how to fly this thing, right?”

Loki rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder, “You know how to operate an internal-combustion engine, do you not? You know how to ride a bicycle? How to walk on your own two feet?”

“OK, OK!” Tony grumbled and tightened his seat-belts, his hands clenched on the armrests of his seat.

Min had the flight-book open on her lap, and was setting controls and tapping through screens based on the instructions. It gave Tony some comfort that they were not entirely at the mercy of Loki’s confidence. The rear ramp retracted and the door closed with a dull thud, seals activated, and air started to circulate in the cabin with a low hiss. 

“Depressurize the hanger,” Loki ordered. While Min flipped through her book, Loki clicked off some of the more alarming looking displays, to avoid distraction. Min tapped through more screens until an energy field snapped into place across the door that lead back out the main ship. Satisfied with that, she turned her attention to the main hanger door and the stars beyond it, their escape route. It was still sealed by the energy field and remained so, despite her efforts. She scowled as her screen taps did nothing, and Loki murmured “Take your time, Min.”

They waited in silence, tension growing, until Min said, "Ah ha!" and tapped her screen. Instead of the slow hiss of depressurization that Tony was expecting, the energy field across the main door flickered and vanished. The shuttle lurched and metal groaned as the air rushed out of the hanger in one cyclonic burst.

Loki looked over at Min, eyebrows raised. She looked back at him, deadpan. “Depressurization complete, my Prince,” she said.

Loki grinned. He activated his controls and took hold of the twin handles between his thighs. “Good job, Min,” he said, as the shuttle whined and lifted off, “And call me Loki.”

Min blushed and stammered out her reply but Loki was already focused on flying. Despite Tony's fears, Loki had a light, steady hand on the controls, and the shuttle eased into position into the center of the hanger. With a short burst of power they popped out from the doorway like a cork from a bottle. As soon as they were clear, Loki cut the engines and let their momentum carry them away from the ship.

The straps held Tony in his seat as the gravity of the slave-ship faded away. Loki’s long hair floated up around his face, but Tony’s short hair and Min’s tight curls were not affected. As they cleared the ship, the full scale of it became apparent. It was massive. It went on and on, more of it coming into view through the rear viewing panels as they got further away. The hanger they had left faded to a tiny speck on the ship’s surface, and a good hour passed before they could see the stars on every side of the ship. Tony released his seat-belts and with a tiny nudge, floated up and out of his seat. He pushed himself to the rear of the shuttle, past the storage room and the sleeping area, to look back at the ship that had been their prison. Scattered across the surface of it, he could see other glowing specks, other hangers protected by energy fields, or even decks where slaves were held, as they had been. Tony could even see the transport shuttles going between the ship and the nearby moon, no doubt taking the slaves to and from their labors.

Tony shivered. They were out of that hell, and getting safer by the moment, but there were a lot of people still left behind. That didn’t sit well with him, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

Tony kicked off the bulkhead and floated back to his seat, grabbing handholds along the way. “So, where are we going?” he asked.

Loki clicked on the screens that he had turned off earlier, the panels flashing with brightly colored symbols. “Nowhere for now,” he said, pointing at the screens, his tone casual. “We have enough power to find a stable orbit and that’s about it until we recharge.”

“Hmph,” Tony said, staring at the panel Loki had hidden, his engineer’s brain already frantically calculating their burn rate, their probable energy stores, and what maneuvers they would need to perform to put them in a stable orbit. He tried his very best to be diplomatic. “It feels like you should have mentioned that before we took off.”

Loki shrugged, “We would have left that place either way, Tony. I simply saved us an argument.”

Tony pressed his lips together. Loki was right. If Tony had known about their limited power he still would have wanted to leave. Even if he hadn’t, Loki could have just ordered him to sit down and shut up, and he would have had to do it. Tony let it go. It was done, and they were already out among the heavens.

“Well, do either of you two geniuses know how to calculate an orbit?” Tony asked, and at Min’s suddenly panicked look, and Loki’s carefully blank face, Tony assumed the answer was no. Tony sighed and continued, “We should stay in the light of the nearest star, and within sensor range of the ship. We’ll need to know if they send anyone after us as well as monitor their traffic. I assume we’re going to try and find the wormhole they brought us through?”

“Yes, very good,” Loki said, deactivating his controls with quick movements. “You can take care of those calculations I’m sure.”

“Yeah, I could,” Tony said, irritated, “Except I don’t even have a pencil and paper to work on, and I don’t understand any of this language.” He pointed at the panels Min was monitoring, covered in multi-colored symbols and the occasional diagram.

“Mathematics is a universal language, Tony,” Loki said smoothly. He stood up from his seat and floated over the back of it, pushing Tony forward to take his place.

“The presentation of it isn’t!” Tony protested, but he had little choice but to allow Loki to maneuver him into the pilot’s seat and strap him in. Loki even patted his head to maximize the condescending nature of the exchange.

“Min can help you with the difficult parts,” Loki said, and Min and Tony exchanged a look. There was no arguing with Loki, and both of them knew it. Maybe for different reasons, but they both were going to do what he wanted. It was what needed to be done, anyway.

Min brought up a screen showing their current trajectory. It was a decaying orbit around the massive gas planet their rocky little moon was circling.

Tony sighed. “OK well, to maximize light and monitoring of the ship we need an elliptical polar orbit….” His brain clicked into gear, and between him and Min they managed to tag-team enough math and language abilities to get the required orbit calculated and entered into the flight console. Tony could see why Loki had decided to take Min on his research expedition. The girl was smart, quick and curious. Tony would have taken her on as an intern himself, if he had met her back on Earth.

“Loki, grab onto something,” Tony called over his shoulder when they were ready. There was no response, and Tony looked back to check on Loki. He was staring through the rear viewing panel, watching the prison-ship slowly get smaller in the distance. He didn’t reply. “Loki!” Tony shouted, “Hey!”

At Tony’s shout, Loki jerked back to alertness. He spun around and flattened himself against the rear bulkhead, one arm raised defensively. Tony pretended not to notice, snapping his eyes forward, his tone all business. “Hey, we’re about to maneuver, so hold on to something, OK?”

Loki coughed to clear his throat. “Yes, very well. You may proceed.”

“Thanks,” Tony muttered under his breath, “I don’t actually need your permission to stop us from plummeting to our doom, so…”

Min glared at him, and he shut up. “Ready to fire thrusters, Mini-Min,” he said instead, faux cheerful. With a tap of her screen, Min activated the precise orbital maneuvers they had laid in.

The shuttle didn’t have thrusters. Thrusters were probably hilariously outdated technology in most areas of the universe. They had what Min called a gravity drive, and Tony fabricated enough explanations in his head for the concept to work with his math. The result was a series of smooth, slow maneuvers that put the shuttle in a perfect, stable orbit. They were looping high around the moon as it looped around the gas planet in turn, one tiny speck among the brightness of a billion stars. Their ship was small, insignificant compared to the vastness of the slave-ship, the moon, and the gas giant. Tony was confident their incremental power surges would not be noticed, especially if no one was actively looking for them.

When they were stable, Min flipped her book open again and quickly set the shuttle for maximum power collection. Huge gossamer-like sails unfurled, angled towards the distant star. The panels flashing with warning signs calmed down, and began instead to show a series of pulses which Tony assumed meant their power was charging.

“We can activate the gravity,” Min said, “But it will use more power. It will take longer to charge the engines.”

“Turn it on,” Loki said, kicking off from the rear bulkhead. Tony didn’t argue. The feeling of weightlessness was fascinating for about a minute, and then it had become disorienting. Now it was beginning to make him a little queasy.

Min did so, and there was a light thump as Loki landed on the deck, as graceful as a cat, one hand on the back of Tony’s chair.

Together, the three of them peered through the front viewing panel, a large sheet of clear material that curved around the flight deck. The gas giant took up most of their view, vivid blues with swirls of deep purple. Bright rings circled it, glittering ice and dust thousands of miles across. After days of running, of desperate fighting for survival, it was hard to be confronted with something so beautiful. Tony didn’t know what to do with himself, where to let his eyes rest, or how to let his mind rest. 

All he could do was stare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go team!


	15. Oryggi

“Now what?” Tony asked, never one to let a silence linger.

“Now,” Loki said, scrubbing his hands through his hair, his face going through a complex chain of emotions. “Now I will be in the bathroom. For a time.”

The shuttle didn’t have a bathroom, of course, but it did have alcove with a sliding door that contained a zero-gravity toilet and a basin. There were no towels, no soap, no other amenities of any kind. It was not the kind of place to spend any amount of time, and Tony was about to open his mouth to ask Loki why, when he realized he already knew the answer.

Loki had been wearing the captain’s clothes for nearly a full day, and under those clothes, he was still smeared with the evidence of his recent abuse. Loki needed some time to himself, and he needed to be clean.

“Yeah, OK,” Tony said, avoiding eye contact, trying to keep his face blank. Compassion was not going to help. Even the hint of it would be taken as pity by the proud Asgardian, so Tony kept his mouth shut, and his feelings to himself.

Loki took a can of water and a spare jumpsuit from the storage room and vanished. The door to the bathroom area was thin, and there was no noise on the shuttle to mask the sounds of Loki washing himself over and over again. Not long after, his harsh breaths turned to gasping sobs, muffled and suppressed. It was the heartbreaking sound of someone trying very hard not to be heard falling apart.

Tony bit his lip, the sound of Loki's pain twisting in his gut. He knew he had to leave him alone, as much as he wanted to help. They were in very close quarters on the shuttle. If Loki wanted the illusion of privacy, the least his companions could do was give it to him.

Tony glanced over at Min. She was staring out the window, her flight-book on her lap, her fingers drumming on the metal cover, a frantic beat that she didn't seem aware of making. Her face was distraught, tears standing in her eyes. Loki had been so strong for her, he had protected and defended her. Even when they had rescued him from the captain, Loki had not broken down. Only now, in the safety of the shuttle, did he finally let himself cry, and Min did not know how to react to it.

“OK Min,” Tony said, to distract her and himself, “Time for a lesson. What does that mean?” Tony pointed randomly at one of the blinking symbols on the console, and listened to Min’s hesitant explanation of its function. He kept up the questions until the bathroom went silent and Loki emerged.

He looked composed. His eyes were a little red, but nothing that couldn’t be attributed to fatigue. The jumpsuit he had found must have been too small. He was wearing the pants, but the top half was down around his waist, tied around him like a bulky belt, leaving his pale chest bare.

Tony glanced up, as though absorbed in his lesson with Min. He didn't say anything about Loki's clothes, or lack of them. It wasn’t as though they had a lot of clothing options anyway. Loki tossed the balled-up, damp bundle of the captain’s old clothes into the storage area, and came to sit in the jump-seat behind them.

“OK?” Tony asked, and Loki nodded, his motions robotic, his face a blank mask. He was as OK as he was going to get. Until they were home safely, Loki somewhat holding himself together was as much as they could ask for.

Tony searched his mind for a subject change, and it came to him almost at once. “We should name the ship!” he declared, patting the console in front of him. “It’s bad luck not to name your vessel.”

"Very well," Loki said, a mild spark of interest stirring in his eyes, eager to be diverted from his dark memories. "What is your suggestion?"

“How about the  _ Maria?”  _ Tony blurted out the first name that came to his mind. Homesickness was probably a factor in his choice, the thought of Earth and home digging up the past.

Min turned to face him, intrigued. “Maria,” she said, “That’s pretty. Is that your wife’s name?”

Tony felt Loki's gaze increase in intensity, saw his slight lean forward. Tony laughed and waved his hand in the air, “No, I'm not married," he said, "Maria was my mom. She died when I was young. But she was smart and kind and she put up with me...just like this little ship is going to do.”

Min smiled sadly, “My mother’s name is Ursula,” she said, her lip trembling, memories of home swamping her without warning. “She always told me I would go far, but I do not think this is what she intended...” Min gestured helplessly at the vastness of space surrounding them.

Loki put his bare feet up on the seat next to him, sitting sideways so he could see them both. “This is far indeed, Min,” he said, gazing out into the infinity of the universe. “I cannot even feel the magic of Yggdrasil in this place. I have been further from home only once before…” he trailed off, and Tony sensed a bad story there. A story that Loki most likely would not be volunteering. Instead, Loki shook his head and pivoted back to the topic at hand, “We should call her  _ Oryggi _ ,” he said. Min’s face lit up, delighted.

Tony gave them both a quizzical look, and Min explained. “ _ Oryggi _ was a legendary vessel of the Aesir, the ship without a figurehead,” she said. “There are many tales about her, and the adventures of her brave and noble crew, but the heart of her legend is that  _ Oryggi  _ always finds a way to bring her crew home.”

“Sounds perfect,” Tony said, “Especially the part about the brave and noble crew.” He stood and grabbed a can of water, cracked it open and raised it up above his head. “I hereby christen this ship  _ Oryggi _ !” Min clapped her hands and even Loki smiled as Tony tipped the can and let a splash of water fall to the floor.

The newly christened  _ Oryggi  _ seemed pleased enough to be named and claimed. There were no ill-omened creaks or groans at least, and Tony was determined to take his good portents where he could find them.

Their little ship sailed peacefully through the heavens, her sails collecting energy from the stars as she went. The crew of three was safe for now. Tony could only hope that they would stay that way, that the  _ Oryggi  _ would live up to her name and bring them all home.


	16. Lolo

“OK" Tony said. He drank the rest of the water he had christened the Oryggi with. "I’m gonna get cleaned up too, and then maybe take a nap. We should set a watch schedule....” While he was talking, Tony wandered into the storage area, pulling off the heavy body armor he had been wearing for what felt like forever.

“I will take the first watch,” Loki said, but when Tony came back out without the armor, yawning, his arms stretched above his head, Loki stopped and stared. “What is that?” he demanded. Loki grabbed Tony’s shoulder, staring intently at the gold logo on the jumpsuit. Without the body armor covering it, it shone in the light of the Oryggi's flight-deck.

Tony tied to wriggle out of the vice-like grip. “I don’t know what it means. You have one too, by the way.” He pointed to the fabric of Loki’s jumpsuit, bundled and knotted around his bare waist. A similar gold patch showed through the twists of the material. Tony had wondered at the logo himself when he had found the clothing. It was gold, showing stylized planets orbiting a star. He had not seen it’s like anywhere else on the slave-ship.

Loki frowned at him, his eyes distant, a memory forming. “Min, show me that book,” he said, and the girl held up her flight-book. The battered cover, when held in the right light, showed the same logo embossed into the dented metal.

Loki tapped his lips with the tips of his fingers. “Tornatt,” he mused, “We were all taken from Tornatt. This book is written in Tornation, and this….” He stroked his fingers over the jumpsuit logo, and over Tony’s chest underneath, seemingly without realizing it. He looked back at the massive ship they had escaped from. “It's hardly possible, and yet…

“Spit it out, Lolo.” Tony froze as he realized what he had said. Min’s eyes widened, and she went very still in her seat. Tony held up his hands, trying not to back away from Loki, who had lost his thoughtful expression and was staring at him, blank faced.

“Erm...that slipped out.” Tony said, “Ignore it. It didn’t happen.” Tony was disconcerted by Loki’s empty stare. He had little idea how the Asgardian might react to anything, never mind being called by a discourteous nickname. Loki had just had a sobbing breakdown in the bathroom of the shuttle, and now he seemed determined to pretend that everything was fine. Tony had no clue how any perception of disrespect, any hint of ridicule would be taken. He could only guess it would be _not well_.

Loki put a heavy arm around Tony’s shoulders and pulled him in to his bare chest. Tony staggered, but had little choice but to go where Loki wanted him. Loki was stronger by far, and Tony wasn't going to embarrass himself by trying to resist. “Please excuse us for a moment, Min,” Loki said, formal and icily polite.

Min gulped and nodded, turning her chair around to face the front of the little ship. She opened her flight-book, her eyes scanning blindly through the information there. Just as with Loki’s time in the bathroom, the illusion of privacy was all that they had, but Min gamely played her part.

Loki turned them around and walked Tony to the back of the shuttle, holding Tony around the shoulders. It was a strangely intimate gesture, but also quite inescapable. Not that Tony had anywhere to run to, nor any intention of increasing Loki's displeasure with him.

“Loki,” Tony started, trying to explain, but Loki wasn't listening. He let go of Tony and leaned against the rear bulkhead, facing the clear viewing panel. His back was to Tony, and Tony cringed at the sight of the metal implants in his spine, shining under his hair like beetles burrowed into his flesh. Tony knew his own back looked the same, and Min too, and he tried never to think about it. Loki was unaware of his scrutiny, his eyes drawn through the viewing panel to the slave-ship hanging in the silent darkness of space. It was a specter that they had not yet managed to fully escape from, physically or mentally.

“Tony,” Loki said, the blankness gone, naked pain in his voice. His fingers trembled where they rested on the clear panel. “Believe me, I understand why you have such little respect for me now." Loki's breath caught, and he cleared his throat before he could carry on. "Whether or not I am worthy of your respect anymore, I refuse to be mocked."

Tony opened his mouth to contradict him, to tell Loki that he had more respect for him now than ever, that they were a team, that he always called his friends by stupid nicknames, but Loki talked over him. “You will keep your contempt to yourself," he ordered, seeming unable to tear his eyes away from the vast bulk of the ship behind them. "Do not think me toothless, Tony Stark, after what… what has happened. I will punish you if I must."

Tony paused. He folded his arms and leaned next to Loki, his back to the bulkhead, looking over at Loki’s staring eyes. He clicked his tongue, and the odd sound caught Loki's attention and drew his gaze away from the haunting view of the slave-ship.

"Wow," Tony said, keeping his voice low, "Wow. You'll punish me? I thought we were past that, Loki."

"We are not," Loki snapped, his eyes narrowed, "We are past nothing! You insult me. You mock me before my own page!"

Tony took a deep breath and let it out slow and easy, then another. In his mind, he could hear Loki's muffled sobs again, crying in the bathroom, reliving what the guards had done to him as he tried to clean it from his body. Tony could feel Loki's warmth as he clung to him while he slept, desperate for comfort that he could not allow himself to ask for. Loki was hanging by a thread, and Tony needed him to stay together.

Loki was not going to bend. Not in this, not so far from home, with the weight of responsibility for Min on his shoulders. Loki had to play the role he had claimed for himself; the prince, the dutiful protector, the fierce, unbreaking warrior. That meant Tony had to play his role too. Loki would not bend, so Tony must. If he didn’t, Loki’s eventual snap could destroy them all.

"I apologize," Tony said, without hesitation. Loki would accept nothing less from him. No explanation or excuse would do. In this situation, Loki simply could not process the world as anything but black and white. Allies and enemies. Safety and danger. If Tony was not an ally, he would be an enemy, and the only allies Loki could understand were those that obeyed him. He needed control, and Tony would give it to him. They had to stay together, united. "I apologize for not using your proper name, Loki. It won't happen again."

Loki exhaled, relief skittering across his features before he could hide it. "I accept your apology," he said.

"OK, are we cool now?" Tony asked, after a few moments had passed.

Loki nodded, "Yes," he replied, pushing off from the bulkhead and taking Tony by the shoulders "We are _cool_. But I know you will understand why I have to do this.”

“Wait, what?” Tony said, but it was too late.

Loki pushed him back against the bulkhead, his face inches from Tony’s. “Stay,” he said firmly, and Tony felt the magic pulse in his chest, warning him that he had better do what he was told. He stared at Loki, hardly believing that the Asgardian was going to punish him after he had just apologized, and meant it!

But that was exactly what Loki was going to do. Without a backward glance, Loki headed back to the pilot’s seat. Min peeked over her shoulder, seeing Tony standing impotently at the back of the ship, his arms raised, incredulous.

Loki sat down and talked to Min in a low voice, gesturing to the screens and displays, getting her working on something. When she was busy, Loki looked back at Tony where he stood in the dim light of the rear area of the Oryggi, looking longingly to the cozy flight deck, but unable to get there. 

The light from the stars shone in Loki’s eyes, and he smiled at Tony. Not his usual devilish grin, but a sincere smile; warm and soft and tentative.

Tony pressed his lips together and slid to the floor, keeping his back in contact with the bulkhead. Trouble was, he _did_ understand why Loki had done it. It was why he had done everything; why he had taken control of his cell on the slave-ship, why he had traded their extra tokens for goods for his team, why he had taken Tony’s punishment from the guards. He did it to protect the people he cared about, and Tony had a hopeful feeling that Min wasn't the only one on that list anymore.

_Asshole,_  Tony thought to himself. But despite that, he smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's in time-out :)


	17. Muddle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Loki POV!

The next time Loki looked over his shoulder, Tony was asleep. The man was sprawled out on the unforgiving metal deck, one hand resting against the bulkhead, keeping contact with it. Even in his sleep, he followed Loki’s magically enforced command.

Loki felt a twinge of conscience, but he suppressed it and turned back to the flight controls. He watched Min as she carefully set up the automated monitoring protocols that he had requested. Her hands were quick on the controls, and she rarely needed to refer to her flight-book. She was a fast learner, and if Loki was not purposely avoiding the back of the ship, he would have left her to do this task by herself.

Loki’s neck ached with the effort of facing forward. Tony’s sleeping form drew his attention like the undertow in the deep ocean. Loki had left him on the floor, like a dog. Like a prisoner. Like a slave.

Loki shook his head, trying to dislodge the memories. The captain had left Loki on the floor, too. He had discarded him like a broken toy, let him fall helpless at his feet, kicked and spat on and filthy and used.

Loki ground his teeth, not hearing Min’s soft voice talking him through her setup. Tony deserved his punishment. He had been disrespectful. He had called him by a womanly name, mocking him, making light of his suffering.

_ He saved your life. _

Loki looked again. Tony was laying in the same position, his soft breathing the only movement in his body, his chest rising and falling. Loki snapped his head forward, wiping the tender smile off his face. He was a fool. Worse than a fool. He had scolded the man, ranted at him, obtained his sincere apology and then punished him anyway. And then, unable to help himself, he had let his witless heart show on his face.

He liked Tony. He  _ liked  _ the ridiculous human, and he could not bring himself to peace with it. His affection for Tony fought with his need for control. He trusted Tony, but he did not trust himself. Trust was going to get him hurt, get him killed, and Min too.

He could not afford to be soft.

Min had finished her monitoring and was waiting for him to reply to her, shifting in her seat as he stared out at the blue gas giant that hovered before them. The planet dominated the forward view, seeming too big to hang in the sky so close to them. It felt as though they should be in freefall, tumbling towards it.

“Get some rest, girl,” Loki said, more gruffly that he intended, and Min nodded and climbed out of her chair, heading for her bunk. She looked at Tony's sleeping form, paused and turned back, words on the tip of her tongue, unsaid.

“I know,” Loki said with a sigh, “I know.”

Min nodded and scrambled into her bunk, taking the high narrow one, leaving the double size bunk below. Loki waited for her to fall asleep, tapping his fingers on the padded armrests of the pilot’s chair.

To pass the time he checked and rechecked the scanners. They were monitoring for ships inbound on their orbit, and for vessels heading outside the range of the slave-ship's typical routes. They needed to find the arcane gateway that had brought them here. Loki hoped that the slavers would send another ship through, and then they could follow. The monitoring was in place, working exactly as he wanted. Loki had no further excuses.

He left the fight deck and headed to the dark cargo area at the rear where Tony slept. Loki sat on the floor next to him, watching him breathe. Even in sleep, a small frown furrowed Tony's brow, and Loki clutched his hands together, forbidding himself from smoothing it away with his fingertips. Tony would not welcome his touch, and Loki would not give the man further cause to be angry with him.

Tony had done so much for him, and Loki had rewarded him with petty spite. He should not be here, on the floor in the dark. Loki should have accepted Tony’s apology and let him sit with them on the flight deck. No doubt he would have known the best ways to set up the scanners, the most efficient ways to cover all the angles and approaches to their little craft.

Self-pity was as useless to him as anger, as useless as Loki's shame and fear. Loki reached out and shook Tony’s shoulder. Tony roused instantly, sitting up and pushing himself back to touch the bulkhead. The flicker of pain that crossed his face when he lost contact with the bulkhead added to the churning mix of shame and self-disgust in Loki’s belly.

Tony twisted his lips, not in anger but more in amused frustration, and his half smile gave Loki hope that he hadn’t ruined everything between them.

“Tony,” he said, he voice low, “You may sleep in the bunk.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Hmm, I've been sufficiently punished then?”

Loki hung his head. He didn’t know what to say to that. He did not regret his actions. He could not let such a thing go unpunished, but at the same time he wished that he  _ could _ . He wished that he could allow such remarks, given in friendship and affection, but he had heard them too many times before. Nicknames much less kindly meant, from those meant to be his friends. Given in scorn and with just enough of an insincere smile that they could be passed off as a joke.

It could not be accepted. Now that Tony knew that, they could move on.

“Yes,” Loki said, biting his tongue on everything else he wished to say, "Your punishment is over." Tony did not get up. He crossed his legs, leaned on the bulkhead and looked right into Loki’s eyes.

“So what’s going on with you, Loki?” he asked. "You push me around, you give me the sharp edge of your tongue, you put me back here in the dark in time-out. But two minutes later you’re flashing me those beautiful green eyes and giving me the sweetest smile I’ve seen in a long time. What’s the story there?”

_ Norns, how was the man so bold? _

Loki blanked out his face. “Do not concern yourself,” he said, already regretting that smile. He should have controlled himself! He should not have looked back. But he had, and the sight of Tony had bypassed his good senses. Tony's answering smile was now burned into his memory.

“Oh, but I am concerned,” Tony said, his own deep-brown eyes as dark as bottomless wells. “I’d like to lose the punishments and keep the smiles, if it’s all the same to you.”

Loki answered before he could stop himself, “Behave yourself and you can have your wish." His voice was a low growl, and Tony laughed, delighted. He was irrepressible, and Loki fought to keep an answering smile off his own face

“All right, all right, I’ll take the bunk,” Tony rolled to his feet. He strolled to the lower bunk as though he lived without a care, as though he was not bound to obey Loki, his former enemy, with an unbreakable bond.

Tony fell into the bunk and was gently snoring mere moments later. Min too, both of them calm and sleeping under Loki’s watchful eye.

Loki sat on the floor, in the dark at the rear of the ship, his back pressed to the chill metal of the bulkhead. He waited while the stars turned, watching over his companions, watching the monitors on the flight deck showing nothing but open space surrounding them. When he had sat there for long enough, for as long as he had made Tony wait, he got to his feet, tired and aching, and went back to the pilot’s chair.

On the way past the bunks, he glanced down at Tony, spread out across the mattress, his arms flung out, his head thrown back, throat bared.

Loki swallowed and walked past, back to his seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be away this weekend, it will be slow for updates, but back next week!


End file.
